


Mirrors in Your Mind

by GhostOfTasslehoff, ZombieJesus



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: A wild feel appears, Accidental Voyeurism, Aizawa is writing a god-awful book about Kira, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Coffee Shops, Deadly tennis, Deneuve is a total bumbling fool, Developing Relationship, Dirty Talk, Doing a bad job of being subtle, Fluff, Humor, L has a dirty mouth, L is a Dick, L is just a broke af student, L might, Light living large, M/M, Masturbation, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mogi is Light's driver, Mutual Pining, Professor Aizawa inspires fear and trembling, Revenge, Shower Sex, Size Kink, Teasing, Unusual Pets, Watari and Matsuda work at the coffee shop, and pre-law Light is tasked with editing it, detective wars, epic fail actually, everything's wrong, lawlight, light is kira, loosely inspired by Hannibal (TV), maximum shade, no one is catching onto Kira, oh my god they were roommates, secrets and lies, where in the world is eraldo coil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2020-06-22 07:55:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 89,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19663051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostOfTasslehoff/pseuds/GhostOfTasslehoff, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZombieJesus/pseuds/ZombieJesus
Summary: In a AU where Eraldo Coil has retired and Deneuve is World’s Greatest Detective, Light is a popular pre-law student at To-Oh, hiding in plain sight while secretly acting as Kira. At a coffee shop, he randomly meets the weird kid on campus, ‘L’, who’s studying criminal psychology and hopes to surpass that hack Deneuve.Light doesn’t make the best first impression, but the two lonely geniuses quickly realize they have quite a lot in common, including the desire for a roommate. When L moves into Light’s penthouse, Light will have to find a way to stay hidden, juggle Ryuk, and maintain his perfect facade. L will have to manage his crush on his new roommate, and his sneaking suspicions there’s something under the surface, while trying to solve the Kira case before Deneuve does.





	1. Art Appreciation

**Author's Note:**

> This started when we were playing with a [fun prompt](https://origami-teacup.tumblr.com/post/145246967054/one-cannot-have-enough-of-cute-and-random-aus-so/) on tumblr:  
> “You’re the jerk-face customer that keeps on thumbing through their phone while ordering their drink so I exact revenge by spelling your name wrong on your cup and drawing phallic pictures on your coffee.”
> 
> However, it grew to be much bigger of a story than that. It is very loosely a Hannibal AU (without the cannibalism), but that will only become apparent as the story goes on. As with our other fics, ZJ is writing for Light and Ghost is writing for L.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On his way to his study group the evening before a big presentation, Light finds out he’s been left to finish the project by himself while his friends went to the bar. L, already frazzled from having to deal with customers alone, takes issue with Light’s rudeness and retaliates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this AU, Light is 21 and L is 23.

Light sighed as he shot back an email to one of his classmates who’d been slacking on their group project, taking a moment to glance up towards the front of the cafe line he was currently (impatiently) waiting in. The group of girls in front of him were taking forever picking out the different syrup flavors they wanted, how many shots of espresso and which non-dairy ‘milk’ of the 9 available they’d choose...and then to top it off they all ordered foam art! 

He glowered as he stared down at his phone, now replying to Professor Aizawa that perhaps he could squeeze in some time to edit the man’s latest book draft. _That is totally not my job, but I won’t turn down the extra credit._ Plus, it was clear that his pre-law professor singled Light out as both a know-it-all to deride and a resource to be exploited. He was intent on getting into law school next year and needed to stay in Aizawa’s good graces. After what seemed like forever, Light watched the group of tittering girls move to the door. _Finally! I’m going to be late for my study group if I don’t hurry now, but I need caffeine badly._

L frowned after the group of girls, huffing irritably. _All that time they took to order, and they didn’t even tip. Where is that moron, Matsuda, he’s SUPPOSED to be helping me._ Wiping his hands on his apron, he hurried back to the ordering counter, punching the ordering screen to bring up the main menu as he called the next customer forward in a strained tone, “I can help you here, sir.” 

_If I didn’t need the money so bad for rent, I would quit, sorry Watari, this shit isn’t worth it_ , L thought disgustedly. The scholarship he received each year didn’t cover _all_ of the books he needed for school, unfortunately, and his tiny, crappy little place was starting to cost more than his budget allowed for. This was just the newest job in a string of jobs he had been forced to take over the last three years to be able to afford everything.

Light stepped forward to the counter to order, not even bothering to look up from the text message he was typing to his study group about how he was running late. “Skim milk latte, two shots of espresso. Make it quick, would you?” 

He frowned as he got a message back that the group had decided to go to a bar instead and that the study group was canceled. Light softly swore under his breath, bringing one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. _Idiots. They better not blame me when Aizawa fails them all._

Raising his eyes, L’s breath caught for a moment, cheeks flushing faintly - the young man stepping forward was… _just_ his type. _Oh shit. He’s pretty._ The lack of attention paid to him for the moment was a godsend as the young man placed his order, and L managed to compose himself enough as he punched in the order to ask quietly, “And, uh… your name, please?” Reaching for a cup, he waited patiently for the other young man to look up.

Light barely registered that someone at the counter was speaking to him, his thumb was flying fast over his phone, berating his lazy study group to try and convince them to leave the bar. He mumbled tersely to the barista, “Light,” without missing a beat in his flurry of text messages. _Damn it! This is a lost cause, they’re not coming._ He really didn’t care if they failed, would serve them all right in his mind. But the group effort impacted Light’s grade too, and he’d just have to pick up their slack since he cared more than they did. _And they know that._

That terse tone took L aback, and he gaped at this- _Light? What kind of a name is THAT?_ His gaze dropped to where Light’s attention was focused and then flitted back up to his face, but the other man didn’t look up for even a second. “Okay…” He moved to start the order, glancing back to check how many people were lined up behind Light, but the line-up wasn’t _terrible_. _Thank goodness for that_ , he thought, turning back to Light’s latte.

Light’s mood was worsening by the moment, nostrils flaring as he thought about how unfair it all was. Didn’t they think he’d like to go drinking too? But their presentation was _tomorrow_ \--- how dumb could they be leaving their parts to the last minute and then blowing off the whole project. _Ugh._ He tapped his foot impatiently, looking up on the counter and seeing no coffee yet. In an irritated tone, “I _did_ mention I was in a rush, yeah?” 

Lips thinning, L glared at Light, nearly biting through his bottom lip in an effort not to say anything snarky. _How rude, would it kill ya to look up for even a second? What a DICK._ He turned away quickly, a devious grin spreading across his face as an idea came to him. It was a tremendously bad idea, but Matsuda had left him to deal with this rush alone, and he was sick and tired of rude customers, even pretty ones like this _Light_.

Light sighed heavily, “Any _day_ now.” It was going to be a long night if he had to put together the whole project alone. 

It was a challenge to maintain a calm facade as L finished off the latte, a petty little thrill going through him as he poured the last of the milk with a small flourish. _Nothing says ‘eat a dick’ like having a picture of a dick in your latte._ He heard Light call out to him irritably, and bit his lip again, shoulders hunching a little in silent laughter before he managed to compose himself. “Yes, it’s, ah... ‘coming’ right up.” _Ooh, damn, should’ve made it look like it ‘came’, ha! But nah, maybe that’s too much._ His expression was still a little smug as he walked back over to the counter, careful not to wreck his ‘artwork’, and set it down in front of Light, saying innocently, “One latte, double espresso and skim milk, as ordered.” His lips twitching up slightly at the corners, watching Light’s expression with wide eyes. “That’ll be 300 yen, please,” he added casually, fingers nearly at his mouth before he realized what he was doing, immediately aborting the motion and dropping his hand abruptly to the counter, fingers clenching slightly.

“Oh finally.” Light already had the yen between his fingers and tossed it onto the counter, looking up to reach for his drink instead when he stopped abruptly, hand hovering over his latte. “What is _this_?!” _There’s a huge foam dick on my coffee!_ A look of scandalized horror flickered across his face but he quickly repressed that reaction, letting his features settle into mild annoyance and severely tried patience. He raised his eyes to glare at the barista, quickly grabbing the drink in embarrassment and hissing quietly, “I did _not_ order that.” 

The clink of the yen on the counter nearly made L giggle, and he quickly moved to scoop it into the till, only pausing when he got the reaction he’d been looking for. His gaze snapped up just in time to see that flicker of horror cross Light’s face, and he smiled smugly at him, deliberately placing the money in the till as he waited to see how far embarrassment and social pressure to not cause a scene went with this guy. “Oh, _that_? I threw in the art for free.” He glanced down pointedly at the ‘art’ staring Light in the face and arched his eyebrows as he said in his best falsely civil customer service voice, “Have a _nice_ day.” The unspoken ‘ _dick_ ’ hung in the air for a moment before he turned away, queuing the menu back up for the next customer when it looked like Light was going to just take it and go.

No one else had _seen_ the lewd foam art floating on top of his drink, and Light probably should have just sipped to ruin it since he wouldn’t want any students or teachers seeing him holding… _that_. But Light just couldn’t bring himself to do that when it was clearly what the barista was waiting for given the smug smile playing on his lips. Had he been that rude? Light guessed that his annoyance with his lackadaisical friends had come out more than he’d wanted. 

Light was seething but didn’t want to make a scene, turning away from the barista with an annoyed huff and trying to decide whether to just swallow this coffee with his pride, when he saw that his name had been deliberately written wrong. _BLIGHT? Oh that’s just the icing on this uncouth cake. That’s IT!_ Turning around, he met the barista’s eyes and coolly placed the latte on the counter. “I think you made a mistake.” He wanted a new un-dicked coffee, and he wanted his name spelled _correctly_ , thank you very much. He spoke slowly, “My name is _Light. L-I-G-H-T._ ” He picked up a straw and ruined the “art,” tossing the straw into the trash as he pushed the drink back to the barista. “I want a new one.”

When Light turned back and leveled that accusation, L gave him a look of faux shock, complete with open-mouthed ‘disbelief’. He knew he was completely overselling it, but it was cheering him up immensely to see that he’d actually provoked a response. _Oh, I LIKE him. It’s a good thing there isn’t much of a lineup behind him, though_ , he thought, bringing one finger up to rub against his lip thoughtfully as he regarded Light, not even bothering to hide his amusement now as the testy young man corrected his spelling. _I figured out how to spell your name, I’m not an idiot._ “Skim milk latte, two shots of espresso, right? That certainly sounds like your order to me. If the mistake is just your name…”

Light leaned one hand on the counter, closing his eyes and heaving a long-suffering sigh before glaring up through his bangs. This barista was being deliberately obtuse but Light was determined not to let his temper get the better of him. He liked this cafe, had been here many times and never had an issue before, but this particular worker was new. “No, _that_ was not my order and the _mistake_ was that there was a picture of some lewd anatomy on my drink.” 

Smirking, L reached for his marker intending to scribble out the ‘B’ and have done with it, but he stopped. If someone did that to _him_ , he would get angry. And logical or not, L was interested in this guy. Taking another cup instead, he very carefully wrote ‘ _Light_ ’ on it in big block letters, showing it to the other man with a small smile. “There. Let me go make you a new one right away.”

Light watched with some relief as the barista picked up his dicked drink and corrected his name, but that was hardly the problem. Light was about to ask to speak with a manager or just leave in a huff when _finally_ the worker agreed to make a new drink. He relaxed a little, giving a curt nod. “Thank you.” At this point, the customers in line behind him were just as annoyed as Light, and he saw with a sinking feeling that Professor Aizawa had just joined the queue. _Oh shit. If he sees I’m holding up the line he’ll give me an even harder time in class._

L set the new drink carefully down in front of Light after making sure to top the new drink off with an even _bigger_ dick than before, stifling a giggle. _I hope he likes the surprise I added._ “Enjoy!” _Come on, laugh a little, it’s kinda funny._

Light watched the barista’s back, ready to just take his new drink and run, but could only gape at what was brought to him. _WHAT?!!!_ He looked between the worker and the even BIGGER foam dick on his latte a few times, his mouth opening and closing like a hooked fish until he finally just burst out laughing. _Why am I laughing? I should be blasting this guy right now._ But despite knowing he _should_ be angry, Light picked up the drink this time with an amused smile, examining the ‘art’ more closely. “Well, I have to admit this one is an improvement. Kudos for realism, I guess.” He shrugged and took a sip, an eyebrow raising as he met the barista’s eyes. _He’s kind of cute in a weirdo way. I wonder if this is just his awkward form of flirting._ Slightly surprised, “It’s delicious actually.” _Did he put cinnamon in it this time?_

L’s gaze flicked behind Light anxiously as he waited for the man’s reaction, unnerved by how the lineup had grown while he was remaking Light’s drink. That burst of laughter settled his nerves, and he gave Light a genuine smile now, watching as he picked up the drink to examine the artwork. _And this is why Watari hired me_ , he thought with a low giggle. Not for dick art, but for his skill with latte art in general. “I pride myself on doing a good job,” he said, feeling a little awkward now as his face began to flush, reaching under the counter to insistently press the buzzer as he met Light’s eyes. _Matsuda, get in here, you CANNOT be having this long of a smoke break!_

The compliment made him beam, especially since he’d added the cinnamon on a whim, figuring Light probably liked a bit of bite to his coffee. _A little spice to go with that spicy attitude._ As his coworker hurried out front to take the next order, L visibly relaxed before saying in a soft voice, “I hope you don’t mind the, ahh… special addition I made. I had a hunch.”

“No, I love cinnamon in coffee but never ask for it because everyone _usually_ puts in too little or too much.” The customers in line behind him were getting antsy, but Light ignored them as he took another sip of his drink. “This is just right.” He so rarely found anyone who interested him and this barista was suddenly _quite_ interesting. _I wonder what gave him that hunch? I might have gotten even angrier._ Light liked people who weren’t afraid to take risks, even little ones like this.

L hovered for a moment more, unwilling to leave yet, and debated on saying anything else before finally biting the bullet, expression hopeful as he asked, “Do you come here a lot?” Before Light could answer, he blurted out, “I’m L, by the way.”

“L? Hmm. That’s an unusual name in Japan.” Light smiled, because that certainly didn’t bother him. “Not that I’m one to talk.” His gaze flicked down to the nametag on the barista’s apron and sure enough it just said ‘L.’ _Wonder what the story is behind that name._ “I used to come here more, usually during finals. I had a study group tonight but…” Light gave a defeated shrug, accepting that that just wasn’t going to happen. “...they all decided to ditch it and get drunk instead. So I’m stuck with trying to make the presentation for all of us.” He sipped some more, savoring the drink. _This is really good._

L was sure he looked pleased as hell at actually being _right_ , but it was hard to be annoyed about Light’s initial rudeness when he was being so charming. “Yeah, I know it’s weird, but I like it,” he said, shifting from one foot to another and scratching shyly at the back of his head. _Oh fuck. I’m in trouble if I’ve already got this much of a crush._ Everything Light was saying reminded L so much of his own role in every group project ever. It was a little startling and it just confirmed to him that Light was also a student-- _at To-Oh too? Wonder what his major is?_

Light was just about to ask L how long he’d worked there, but a very loud and irritated-sounding cough from the back of the line-- _oh shit, it’s Professor Aizawa and he’s glaring at me_ \--reminded him that L wasn’t really free to chat.

Prof. Aizawa huffed, “Hey! You got your coffee now! Now move it so the rest of us can order!” He crossed his arms and glowered at them both. 

Before L could ask anything else, a rude customer at the back of the line spoke up irritably, and he gazed past Light to see that it was-- _Oh SHIT, it’s Aizawa. I’m so glad I haven’t had him yet._

Light cut his eyes to the back, mumbling into his drink, “Rude people are really insufferable.” _How I wish I could just write his name and be done with him, but that would be too suspicious._ He dug out some money for a tip and dropped it into the tip jar, giving L a little smile. “Maybe I’ll be back tomorrow night if I don’t die during my presentation tomorrow. Wish me luck.” 

Hearing Light’s mumbled comment pulled a quickly stifled laugh from L, and he gave the other man a knowing smirk. His expression softened into a surprised, blushing little grin when Light actually dropped a tip in the jar. _After all of that rigmarole, he tipped. Damn!_

Light gave L a little wink, walking towards the exit. As he passed Prof. Aizawa, he pretended to only see the man for the first time. “Professor Aizawa! How nice to see you. So very sorry for holding up the line.” Light smiled congenially, saying over his shoulder in the appearance of an afterthought, holding in how badly he wanted to giggle, “Oh! Be sure to order the foam art.” A last look at L and he was out the door towards the library, determined to finish that presentation, hell or high water.

As Light walked away, L moved over to take a peek at the order screen, calling happily after him, “Good luck on your presentation, Light!” _I hope I DO see you tomorrow_ , he thought, moving to wash his hands and shooting Light one last grin as he left the cafe. He felt _much_ better; not even the impatience of the remaining customers could bring him down tonight, and his gaze cut to the grumpy Professor with a smirk as he went to set up the next few orders. _I probably shouldn’t… but fuck it, I’ll give the prof the rude jerk special too._ He snickered a moment before schooling his expression again, instead humming under his breath as he worked.

“Caramel cappuccino with extra foam for…Erika.” L read off the name and set the drink on the counter, nodding to her and hurrying to start the next drink. Aizawa’s voice caught his attention, and he hurriedly called out to Matsuda, “Hey, uhhh, Matsu! Don’t charge him for the foam art, yeah?” He grinned wickedly. “It’s on the house today.” _Oh fuck, I’m going to have to pay for that later. Oh well, worth it._

\----

Light’s presentation the next day went off without a hitch and was of course delivered flawlessly in class. The other three hungover students didn’t know what the hell they were talking about, but Light was quick to smoothly take over when they started to ramble, redirecting it back to some semblance of a point. He was all smiles for Professor Aizawa after they received the highest marks, but wasn’t above taking a detour to office hours to let it slip that _he’d_ been the one to do all the work. _After the group grade was already recorded, of course._ The students’ fawning thanks was met with steely politeness and a curt refusal to work with them on the final project. He’d just do it all by himself, and even if it was more work, it would be far less stress. _And no one taking credit for my work._

Still, he was slightly depressed as he wandered back over to the coffee shop between To-Oh and his loft apartment, unable to admit to himself that Light Yagami actually felt _lonely_. He’d agreed to work with this group because he’d been under the impression they took their studies seriously, and if he was being honest, he’d hoped that he might form more than the shallow connections he felt for any of his classmates who only seemed to want to gawk at him or use his brilliance. Light loved to be right, but he’d hoped to have been proven wrong in this instance. _Nope, just the same old same old._

The cafe wasn’t as busy as he pushed open the door, probably because it was in the afternoon and some classes were still going on. He scanned to see if L was working the counter, a small flutter of something in his stomach. But the man from last night wasn’t there, instead another barista gave him a dopey grin as he approached the front.

“Hello! What can I get for you?”

Light frowned slightly at “Matsuda”’s name tag before looking to the back and wondering if L was off today. _Damn. It would probably seem weird if I asked if he was working._ “Hmm. One moment.” He hadn’t had a chance to look at the real menu last night but there were lots of interesting, complicated-sounding drinks. “What’s in the Mexican Hot Chocolate?”

Matsuda flushed, grimacing like he wasn’t sure. “Ahhhh...I’ll have to check.”

L was just washing his dishes from his lunch when he heard the door open, and he didn’t think anything of it until he heard Light’s voice. _What?!_ He looked at the clock, a wide grin spreading across his face; he hadn’t been expecting to see Light here until later, if at all, but he supposed that was a silly presumption. He really knew nothing about the other man aside from that he was a student and liked cinnamon in his coffee. _And is completely gorgeous._

Stifling a laugh at the cringing tone apparent in Matsuda’s voice, L emerged from the back, drying his hands off with some paper towels as he announced, “Mexican Hot Chocolate is made with actual milk, cocoa powder, cinnamon and chili powder to give it some spice, and some dark chocolate.”

Light looked up from the menu when he heard L’s voice, stifling the urge to grin foolishly. He was surprised how excited he was at L’s surprise entrance, determined to play it cool. No one on campus knew that Light liked _men_ , that just wasn’t very socially acceptable to be open about in their society. He’d seen others be persecuted or ridiculed for it at To-Oh, even by the professors. _Ugh, like that Aizawa needs more ammo on me._

L smiled at Light as he walked up to lean against the counter as casually as he could, ignoring the grateful look Matsuda was casting his way. “Makes it much smoother. Creamier. And for an extra kick, you can add a little cayenne pepper, if you like that.” He paused, and then added, “Oh, and most people who order it like to top it off with marshmallows. Lots of them. But we’ve got a few different options for toppings if you don’t want those. Does that sound good, Light?”

Tilting his head, L studied Light for a moment, frowning slightly to himself. Something seemed a little… _off_ about Light today. “That actually goes really well with our ginger molasses cookies. Half price today.” Matsuda shot him a wide-eyed look, opening his mouth to say something to that, and L shot him a hard look. _Don’t say a word. If he wants it, I’ll pay for the stupid cookie._

Light responded brightly, “That sounds amazing. I could really use something with a little spice today.” _Well, that sounded more pathetic than I meant it to._ He finally smiled at the mention of the cookie, looking into the glass case where they were stacked. He didn’t see a half-off sign but supposed that if L said so…”Sure, I’ll have a cookie too, if you recommend them.” 

The only drawback to ordering this drink was that it didn’t come with foam art, and Light had been hoping to see more of that from L. _Maybe it’s worth asking?_ “Um…” He met L’s eyes, completely ignoring Matsuda, “...Is it possible to get foam art with that drink?” He laughed softly, feeling a little silly given the _last_ two “arts” L had made for him. Meaningfully, but amused, “Maybe something different from last time.”

L’s eyebrows rose in surprise at the way Light professed his need for ‘a little spice’. _Uh oh, does that mean the presentation didn’t go well? Or is this about something else?_ Chewing on his bottom lip, he watched Light carefully, only smiling again when Light finally met his eyes, a little thrill going through him at the eye contact. He had to laugh, pushing himself up from the counter and shaking his head. “It doesn’t come with _foam_ art, but… I can definitely make an attempt at drizzle art, if you’d like that instead. I’ve always wanted to try that. I would recommend either the regular chocolate drizzle, or we’ve got a really delicious cajeta sauce that has cinnamon in it. Ever had that before?” _I’m sure I can come up with a way of making something work._

Waving Matsuda away, L started to punch in the order, hesitating before completely ignoring the cookie. _I’ll just pay for it._ “Do you want skim milk in this drink, too, or whole? I really recommend getting it with whole, the flavor is much better.”

Light smiled at all the questions about the drink, giving a little shrug. “I’ve always just been a skim latte kind of guy, haven’t tried too many other things.” It was true, Light tended to stick with what he knew, what worked, what was usual in his day to day. He took enough risks as...his other persona, that he couldn’t chance to risk his perfect image of the model student and son. _That does get boring, and I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t bored._ “I’ll leave the details of the drink to you, since you’re the expert.” It actually felt nice to _not_ have someone else pestering him about his expertise or abilities, to rely on someone else’s knowledge for a change. 

L gave him a curious look and then giggled, typing as he said, “Well, _that’s_ boring.” It took a few seconds for it to sink in what he’d said, and he hastily added, “Not that _you’re_ boring.” _Far from it._

Light grinned at the ‘boring’ comment, nodding in agreement. “No, you’re right, that’s me. Boring as all hell.” His smile became a little more sly, as it often did when he spoke half-truths. But it was better that he live up to his _boring_ but _perfect_ reputation, not rock any boats, or make anyone suspicious as he hid in plain sight.

“So, grande Mexican hot chocolate, whole milk, hold the cayenne…” L paused, laughing, “Actually, you’ll probably like the extra bit of spice, so scratch that.” 

Light sputtered a little when L said ‘hold the cayenne,’ ready to interject, but it wasn’t needed. “Hey, not all Japanese people turn their noses up at spicy things.” He was teasing, L hadn’t implied that. But Light was curious about where L was from since it was clear he wasn’t completely Japanese, if he was at all. That wasn’t uncommon in a university town but it was hard to put a finger on L’s nationality, his Japanese was so good.

L snorted at Light’s teasing comments, voice dry. “Yes, well, I’ve found since I started here that it’s mostly been international students or tourists who get the Mexican hot chocolate, so… coincidence?” He shrugged and gave Light a reassuring grin as he deliberated, holding one finger up in the air as he decided, “I think we’ll go with the chocolate drizzle, with drizzle art. And one ginger molasses cookie, on me. 375 yen today. Matsuda, get his cookie, please, and then grab the next order?”

“Sure,” Matsuda said, rushing to do as L asked, gratefully going back to the register after handing Light his cookie with a quick nod of his head.

“W-wait! I can pay for that cookie!” Light stood up a little straighter, fishing in his wallet for the extra yen and sliding it across the counter. He paused, fingers still touching the money as gave L a searching look. “They aren’t _really_ half off, are they…?” He pulled his fingers back but left the money there, wondering whether L was just being friendly or trying to get rid of those cookies. He giggled nervously when Matsuda handed him the cookie, giving it a testing sniff. “Or are you trying to pawn something off on me that didn’t sell for good reason?”

L stopped in surprise when Light protested about the cookie. At first, he thought the other man was being serious, but it seemed like he was just teasing him back, so he laughed and pushed Light’s money back across the counter, admitting, “No, they’re full price, but… consider it an apology for being a, uhhh…” A smirk flickered across his face for a moment. “For being a _dick_ yesterday. Now I get what you were irritated about. And they’re still pretty fresh, I had one on my break just ten minutes ago.”

Light chuckled and nibbled at the cookie, waiting until he’d swallowed to say, “I was only teasing, it’s really good.” It felt odd to accept a gift from a stranger, but it was a nice gesture and he would accept it graciously. “Thank you. And I’m sorry I came off as rude yesterday, I know I can be...aloof. Or so people tell me.” He shrugged, enjoying this casual conversation far more than he thought he would. It was so nice to just _talk_ with someone outside of just schoolwork, and made him realize that he might have missed quite a lot of the so-called social opportunities of college in his rush to go on to bigger things. 

L waved Light’s apology away with another laugh. “Don’t worry about. It’s… water under the bridge.” He didn’t particularly want to dwell too much on yesterday, not when he was so eager to find out more about Light. And it had been a _long_ time since anybody had talked to him like a normal person, with the exception of Watari… _well, most of the time_. “We’re cool.” _Maybe even… friends? What if I fuck it up, though? Like I always do?_ But it was nice to talk to someone who clearly didn’t know his reputation.

Pausing, L smiled briefly and tilted his head to ask, “How did the presentation go, by the way? Well? You _did_ say you’d come by if it went well, so I’m assuming…”

Light sighed and looked away, not quite sure how to frame it. “The presentation went fine. I mean, I wasn’t going to let myself fail because _they_ didn’t care. That gets tiresome though is all. I usually work by myself and decided not to this once. Bad call.” He snorted, feeling a little silly at the admission.

L was moving to start the drink as he listened to Light’s explanation, nodding with a slightly melancholy expression. “I’m… I know how you feel. I’m kind of in the same boat. The last time I worked in a group, things kind of…” He grimaced, not really wanting to share the details of _that_ incident yet. _Not the place or time._ It hadn’t been the actual group experience that had hurt, but what had come _after_. “Well. Let’s just say that it was… _not_ a good experience, and I do all my projects solo nowadays.” _Mostly because I’m the resident freak and no-one ever wants to work with me, anyway_. He was quiet for a long moment as he mixed and measured, finally focusing on the artwork.

Light listened closely as L described his own experience with ill-fated group projects. It seemed like an unpleasant memory so he didn’t pry into it, not getting the feeling like this was the appropriate place to ask. He gave L a curious look. “I assume you’re a student at To-Oh, then? I haven’t seen you around.” _I’d remember your face, remember meeting someone as unusual as you._ “I’m in the library all the time too.”

_Why did I even bring up that project? I don’t want him to think there’s something wrong with me._ It was a great relief when Light didn’t ask anything more about it, and it gave L the opportunity to listen rather than make conversation. His voice was soft as he said to Light over the ledge, “Yeah, after finals, I’ll be going into my last semester. I never study on campus, though. Uhhh… my very first semester, I nearly flunked because I… have issues processing information when there’s loud music or noises going on around me. I need peace and quiet.” Looking up, he smiled slightly. “I don’t live on campus for the same reason.” More accurately, he hadn’t been able to stand living on campus because he had nearly _lost_ the scholarship he’d been so proud of in his first semester. The rowdy teenagers and 20-somethings partying around him while he’d been _trying_ to study had been impeding his ability to focus. _And I only moved into that apartment to get some peace and quiet._ His expression flattened out to something more neutral and resigned before he glanced back up at Light. “My intention is to work as much as I can after finals so I can drop to part-time in the new semester and have money saved up for my rent. I kinda think I’m getting gouged but without a roommate… I’m screwed.” _The problems with living alone._ “But I’m sure you don’t want to hear about _that_.”

“Well, I can commiserate with you on needing peace and quiet. I never lived in the dorms for that reason, and the couple times I _tried_ to have roommates I…” Light bit his lip and looked a tad sheepish, “...I uh, threw them out when we couldn’t get along. The library has private study rooms though, if you reserve them in advance. I’m pre-law so I need access to the law references and they don’t have a lot of the older periodicals digitized.” But he was pretty good at tuning others out and focusing when he had to, and wasn’t afraid to use his inherited Yagami Glare of Disapproval to shut people up.

L finished the relatively simple, elegant artwork with a flourish, setting it onto the counter in front of Light with a smile. “I hope this is spicy enough.” _I hope he doesn’t think the flower is too silly. Just want to give him something pretty to cheer him up._

Light gave L a genuine smile when the hot chocolate was placed on the counter, leaning in a little to admire the design. “Wow...you’ve got a real talent for that.” He picked it up and took a small sip, looking back up to meet L’s eyes as they widened with the delicious, spicy taste. “Mmmmm, I’ve never had anything like this. Might be my new favorite drink, actually.”

Light’s praise for his work made L blush, and he ducked his head, feeling a little silly for enjoying the praise over something that wasn’t ‘serious’. But it _did_ make him feel good, especially coming from Light, and he grinned widely, an air of satisfaction hanging over him as he said teasingly, “Welcome to the dark side. We have the _best_ drinks here.” Curiously, “What about you? What year are you in?” 

Light leaned against the counter as he drank another sip, glad for the lack of customers at present. “I’m in my third year but I’ve smashed together the last two years so I can enter law school after next semester.” He said it nonchalantly like that was what _everyone_ did. “You’re right that the cookie goes well with the drink, by the way.” 

Finding out Light was doubling up on classes made L pause and his jaw dropped when he realized- “Wait. Pre-law Light… and you’re taking two years _together_? Damn, you must be Yagami. I’ve _heard_ of you. All my professors this year _especially_ have been talking about you non-stop. Say you’re ‘destined for great things’.” _I highly doubt they talk about ME in such glowing terms._

Light paused mid-bite of his cookie and flushed a little when it was clear that L had _heard_ of him, feeling both pleased and embarrassed. _If they only knew the great things I aspired to._ Still, he recovered quickly and played it off. “I’m not sure I’d like to know what some of those professors have to say.” He lowered his voice, “Like that Aizawa. He’s got it in for me, I swear. Assigning me more work or making me stay after class and grade papers when he thinks I’m being too...what’s the word he uses…” He giggled into his drink as he recalled, “...ah yes, ‘superior.’ Which is just his way of telling me to sit down and shut up like everyone else.” But there was nothing to be done about that given that Light would only have _more_ classes with him in the future, including the next semester.

“Honestly, most of what they say is glowing endorsements, at least to the classes,” L said, propping his chin in his hand and smiling at Light. “And luckily, I’ve never had _him_ as a professor. Yet.” His nose wrinkled in disgust, and a sigh left him as he thought glumly of the courses he was going to have to take next semester. _Global Legal Systems AND Deterrents and the Law with Aizawa, yippee ki yay, mother fuck-my-life._ “If I want to graduate, I think I’m going to _have_ to take at least one of his classes. And, like… I only have three courses next semester, but they’re _all_ heavy workloads.” 

Light snorted, “Lucky indeed. I hope he didn’t give you a hard time when he was here yesterday on my account, for holding up the line.”

“Well, actually…” _Should I tell him what happened?_ “Grumpy may have, uhh… lodged a complaint about my ‘artwork’.” Grinning with more amusement than remorse, L leaned over the counter on his elbows, trying to ignore how hot his face was becoming. 

Light cocked an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips. “Wait a minute. This is a story I _need_ to hear.” Pompous Aizawa getting his comeuppance would be the best thing he’d heard all day.

L ducked his head, giggling madly as he thought of the talking to he had received when he got into work that afternoon. Lowering his voice, he beckoned Light closer and began relaying the story between giggles, “Okay, _so._ I may have drawn a dick on _his_ latte, too.” Snorting, “Had a little, uhhhh… _surprise_ coming out of it. You should have seen his face, it went _purple._ ” A glance behind Light confirmed that they were still customer-less, and he smirked. “When I walked in here this afternoon, my boss Watari stopped me and was all like, ‘L, explain yourself.’ I told him it was an _eggplant._ ”

Light was snickering, imagining the look on the old bulldog’s face. “An eggplant for Springtime, right? Just _very_ excited for Spring.” 

“Yup, how’d you guess?” L asked brightly, propping his chin in his hand as he watched Light’s expression.

“What’s he got against Springtime vegetables?” Light had to stop drinking or he was going to choke, he was giggling so hard. “Damn, I wish I could have seen that. Next time get it on video and you’d be crowned the king of To-Oh.”

“If I do it again, I might get _fired_.” Laughing, L added, “Watari just gave me one of his disapproving looks and asked me what was coming out of the eggplant, so I told him it was ‘spring happiness.’” His eyes got very round as he said in a faux scandalized tone, “I have _no_ idea why he didn’t believe me. Just made me promise not to do it again. But I would _swear_ to you that he was trying not to laugh as he went to his office.”

Light grinned, “Sounds like your boss has had a run-in with Aizawa before too. If so, he was probably secretly cheering.”

“HA! Probably!” L grinned and shrugged, leaning back on his elbows again to ask brightly, “Sooooo, you gonna be a hotshot lawyer when your schooling is finished?”

Light glanced around the cafe, relaxing a little when he saw it was still empty. He didn’t want to be overheard saying anything disparaging, and the law faculty were close-knit and gossipy. “I want a law degree but...I’m not sure if I want to be a lawyer.” _More like I want to know everything about the criminal justice systems of the world._ “I haven’t decided quite yet.” He sipped more of his drink, starting to think that this guy was _definitely_ cute in an unconventional kind of way. “So what are you studying? Or maybe I should ask what you’re doing after To-Oh, since you’re almost done.”

L looked down again, tracing one fingertip idly against the countertop as he tried to decide how to phrase his ambition. “Honestly? I want to be the real-life Will Graham.” Those movies, but _especially_ the television series, had been so intriguing to him when it first aired that he had instantly known he wanted to do _that_ with his life. Mysteries and true crime stories, in general, had _always_ interested him to some degree, but to be able to get inside someone else’s head… “I want to catch monsters.” _I want to be the world’s greatest detective._ That’s what L _wanted_ to say… but didn’t. _I want to be the one to crack the Kira case._ Something made him hesitate on that, as well. “I’ve always found criminal psychology to be fascinating, ever since I was young, so I’m studying it for real.”

Light gave L a cryptic smile, listening with interest when L started speaking about his own dreams. “Will Graham? So you’re a Hannibal fan then. Mmhmm, me too. But as I recall, Graham often had to see through the monster’s eyes to catch them, which sounds a bit of an occupational hazard.” _Especially since Graham eventually became so close to the monster he…_

When Light brought up Hannibal, L straightened up, unable to stop from beaming. “Hell yes! That’s my favourite show.” _Gorgeous, law student, likes my drinks, and likes Hannibal. Light, fuck, stop being so perfect, UGH._ “I mean…” L snorted, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets, slouching as he studied Light with curious eyes. “You could definitely _say_ that Graham’s ability to fully immerse himself in another person’s psyche was incredibly risky, but the higher the risk, the better the payoff. I guess he thought the risk of _becoming_ a monster himself was worth it to catch the bad guys.”

“But that’s just fiction, right?” Light gave an easy laugh, picking up and fiddling with a business card from this cafe. “Maybe we’ll have some courses together next semester, if you plan to finish your degree with any law classes.” The bell attached to the door jingled behind him, and he turned to see a large group of tourists coming into the cafe. “Ah, I guess that’s my cue.”

The easy way Light laughed off the discussion as ‘ _just fiction_ ’ took his breath away, and L hadn’t quite recovered when the bell rang to indicate new customers. His eyes widened at seeing just _how many_ people were walking through the door, and he swore softly under his breath, running to wash his hands quickly.

Light met L’s eyes, giving him a small smile as he finished off the cookie and pulled out his pen. He jotted his number quickly on the business card and let it fall from his fingers into the tip jar. “Thanks for the snack and the interesting conversation, L. Maybe we can chat again sometime.” 

Light’s voice caught L’s attention, and he met the man’s eyes, his own crinkling at the corners as he called, “Hey, you’re welcome! Maybe I’ll see you sooner rather than later? I’d love to be able to talk with no restrictions, y’know? Later!” 

Light turned and waded through the loud tourists to the exit, feeling in much higher spirits than he had before. _I hope he calls me._

As Light left the store and Matsuda began ringing in an order, L took that opportunity to fish out the card Light had dropped in the tip jar, staring down at it in confusion for a moment before flipping it over - and there, in perfect handwriting, was a phone number. _A… he gave me his phone number._ A grin cracked his face, and he stuffed the card in his pocket before getting to work. _Oh, I am DEFINITELY going to call him after work._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The drizzle art L does for Light’s hot chocolate looks something like [ this.](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/779122804264405182) The recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate is [here.](https://www.isabeleats.com/mexican-hot-chocolate/)
> 
> Ghost: Also, these two legit talked *cough* flirted *cough* for at least twenty minutes, if not MORE.
> 
> ZJ: Matsuda was sitting there stealing cookies while L was distracted wasn’t he….👀
> 
> Ghost: … Yup. 😣


	2. Fireworks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> L gets up the nerve to text Light after work, but when Light invites him over for pizza, nothing is what he expects.

\---later that day, in Aoyama---

Light was grateful to finally be back in his apartment, grateful it was Friday and he had a couple days to relax after the stressful week. But it was always a little sad to come home to an empty apartment, even one as beautiful as this one. He’d tried having roommates but it had never worked out, and he didn’t really _need_ a roommate anyway. Light had money, more money than he knew what to do with really. Most of it was secreted away in Swiss accounts, the origins of it being anonymous ‘donations’ to his shadow corporation set up under layers of fake names and credentials. Early on, he’d figured out that Death Note allowed him to control the actions of others. And while Light certainly didn’t make a habit of it (in fact it had only happened three times out of countless names), he hadn’t been above getting some of the more wealthy criminals to “donate” to his _good cause._ He explained away to family and friends as good stock market picks, which wasn’t a complete lie. It just wasn’t the complete truth.

It wasn’t the _complete_ truth that he lived alone either, but sharing his life with Ryuk didn’t feel like human companionship. The shinigami was entertaining and it _was_ nice to be able to talk over his plans and schemes with him, but...at the end of the day, having Ryuk around was like having a cat. A creature that didn’t really need you but you could stand each other, like a symbiotic relationship. Plus, Ryuk was _always_ around and seemed content to mostly just spectate, which was fine by him.

Light hung his coat up and wandered into his office, just catching the beginnings of the sunset from the full-length windows. “He was nice, wasn’t he?” Light said it more to himself, idly reaching over to toss an apple to Ryuk.

“Yeah sure, I guess so.” The shinigami caught the apple, munching it as he flapped over to turn on the television and watch his favorite soap. “Better than those kids that dumped ya, huh? Hyuk hyuk.”

Light shot Ryuk a withering look, “Thanks for the reminder. But my presentation went fine, not that _you_ were any help making all their note cards fly out of their hands.” He snorted in amusement anyway, recalling the consternation on the students’ faces when it happened to everyone but Light.

Ryuk only cackled, clearly not sorry in the slightest for his pranks. “Pfft. You liked it, don’t lie. Ooooh, shhhh, Hideki’s on!”

Light rolled his eyes and went to relax on the couch, trying to tune out the blatherings of soap stars and wishing he’d asked L when he was getting off work. But that would have been too bold probably. He’d regretted dropping the business card with his number the moment he’d done it, feeling like it was a stupid dead giveaway for his interest. _Oh well, nothing to do about it now._

\---across town in Shibuya---

L’s good mood had lasted the entire rest of the shift, to the point that Matsuda had actually commented on it as they were closing up. “We got some really good tips today, L, you need to keep this up!”

“Matsuda, knock it off,” L said, snorting and rolling his eyes at the other man. Hefting his backpack, he waved offhandedly at his coworker, running to grab the bus before it left the stop. “See you Monday! DO NOT be late again, or I’ll kick your ass!” He heard yelling behind him, but it was lost in the sound of bus brakes, and he hauled himself up the stairs, dropping the fare in and sitting down in the nearest seat before pulling out his phone. _6:39 pm, not bad this time. Idiot only broke three things during cleanup._ Normally, he questioned Watari’s judgement in closing up shop so early on Friday nights, but tonight, he was grateful for it, immediately tugging the business card from his back pocket and typing the phone number in, tapping out a quick message and hitting send before he could second guess himself.

**“Hey, this is Light’s number, right? It’s L. I hope you don’t mind me texting you?”**

_Should I tell him I’m off for the weekend, or does that seem too…_ L frowned to himself, biting his lip. That seemed a little needy or desperate. _Better not. Not yet. Get a better feel for the situation first._

\---

Light looked up when he heard his phone buzzing on the kitchen table, getting up from the couch to go and check it. _Whoa, it’s L already!_ He couldn’t help but smile down at his phone, giving Ryuk a backwards glance as he took it into his bedroom. Hideki Ryuga was being a little _too_ dramatic in today’s episode. He settled on his bed, rolling onto his stomach as he got comfortable and thought about what to say. Feeling nervous was unusual for him, but this felt like a _good_ kind of nervous. 

**Light: Yes this is Light. I see you found the card I dropped. I don’t mind you texting. It was nice to talk to you today.**

**Light: Did you survive the tourists?**

The return message made L giggle, and as he typed, he thought wryly to himself, _Who else did he think might pick up the card, Matsuda?_

**L: Awesome. Yeah, we don’t normally have a lot of downtime (you saw yesterday, ugh), so it was nice to talk to you too.**

**L: The tourists went absolutely insane for my foam art, actually. We made some pretty good tips. 😮 Actually, another couple tourist groups came in after, too, and same deal. I think we each made a little over 2000 yen by the end of the day. That’s certainly a first for me.**

**L: … So yeah, lol, I survived! What did you end up doing for the rest of the day?**

**Light: I had to pick up some HEAVY law books for next semester’s class. I swear Aizawa assigns grimoires not law books, ugh. Ran some errands, nothing very exciting**

**Light: I only got home a little while ago and don’t judge me but I’m feeling too lazy to cook :) Thinking about what kind of takeout I want delivered**

**Light: was kind of craving pizza. I guess one benefit of living alone is no one yells at me when I order pineapple on my pizza lol**

**L: 😮 YOU LIKE PINEAPPLE ON YOUR PIZZA TOO?**

**L: Everyone tells me I’m insane. Haha, go for it, now I’m jealous. I’m probably just going to have a freakin cup of ramen when I get home.**

Light paused, fingers hovering over his phone because he _really_ wanted to invite L over for pizza. But...would that be ok? Friends did that kind of thing, didn’t they? It wouldn’t be _weird_ or taken the wrong way, would it? _Ugh, but I want him to take it the ‘wrong’ way._ He sighed, typing and deleting and then typing again and deleting _again_. He mumbled to himself in frustration, “Stop being a coward,” then responded before he could chicken out again.

**Light: Eating a cup of ramen is an unforgivable culinary crime, and as a lawyer in training I must strongly advise against it**

**Light: You could choose to ignore my extremely serious legal advice at your peril**

**Light: Or you could come over and have pizza with me. Pineapple is definitely happening**

L was _very_ glad no-one was paying any attention to him whatsoever, because the length of time he sat anxiously biting at his nails watching the ‘typing’ dots appear and disappear was, quite frankly, _embarrassing._ But Light’s message was _so_ worth it, and he laughed out loud as the messages kept appearing.

**L: Ahhhhh, okay, I get it! Crimes against digestion and all that good stuff (bad stuff?)**

**L: Your legal expertise in this matter has convinced me, as has the promise of pineapple.**

L glanced up at the map before hurriedly typing back.

**L: One problem. I’m already on the bus and have no clue where you live. HALP.**

Light’s face had been buried in a pillow, burning red, he knew it. But he peeked up at the screen when he heard the return messages pop, a slow smile spreading across his face. _Yes!_

**Light: Cool! I’m in Aoyama, Park Court Tower. 2-3-3 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku. Just get off at the next stop and I’ll send my driver for you.**

**Light: Here’s his number so you can tell him where you are. Don’t worry, he’s quick (because I’m super hungry for pizza too haha)**

Light sent L Mogi’s number, sending his driver a text too to be expecting someone to call and to bring them here right away. He was _going_ to also ask Mogi to pick up the pizza but he figured it was best to just have that delivered after L got here in case they wanted to add anything else to the order.

**Light: Ok, I let him know. Sound good?**

L’s eyes grew round as he read and reread the first text a couple times, trying to wrap his brain around the fact that Light Yagami _had a personal driver_. Belatedly, he yanked the cord for the next stop, standing up quickly and making his way to the nearest door, awkwardly typing a one handed response.

**L: Uh, ya, sounds good, I'll text when I'm off the bus.**

As soon as the bus stopped, he was off like a shot, taking quick stock of his surroundings before sending off a text to the new number Light had sent.

**L: Uh, hi. Is this Light’s driver?**

**L: And do you (a) have an iPhone, and (b) have location services turned on?**

He sent a quick text off to Light as well.

**L: You have a DRIVER?! That’s crazy… and kind of awesome.**

Light chewed his lip, only registering now that it was a little weird for a student to have a driver. But the truth was…

**Light: I...never learned how to drive. >_<**

**Light: I keep meaning to! I just...haven’t gotten around to it yet lol**

Light got a message from Mogi that he’d gotten L’s location and was headed there now. He shot off a quick message of thanks and switched back to the chat with L.

**Light: He got your ping. ETA 15 minutes. I’m going to jump in the shower. See ya soon**

“Holy shit,” L whispered, shaking his head in amazement as he found a place to sit.

**L: Hey, I take the bus everywhere, I can’t throw stones at you for not knowing how to drive.**

Reading the last message was… making his heart pound. _Great. Now I’m going to be picturing him naked, thank you for that just before I have to spend a lot of time in close quarters with you_ , L thought, laughing to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose.

**L: 15 min, gotcha. Uh…**

**L: This might sound presumptuous, but… I’m kinda gross from work, would I be able to have a shower when I get there? I DO have a change of clothes in my backpack! 😅 I just… don’t want to be lounging around your place in sweaty clothes.**

Light got out of the shower and wandered back into his bedroom, noticing that he’d gotten several texts in the interim. It had been about 15 minutes so he hoped Mogi had picked L up by now. He texted L back as he went to his walk-in closet to get dressed.

**Light: Sure, you can shower here. Did Mogi pick you up ok? Black Mercedes in case not.**

**Light: Should have mentioned that already, whoops**

He thumbed over his clothes, picking out a soft burgundy sweater and some grey slacks that were casual but not _too_ casual. Light wanted to look effortlessly elegant but not like he was trying too hard to impress L. _Which I definitely am._

L was feeling a little too out of his league to speak much to Light’s driver, merely watching him and craning his neck to peer around the inside of the vehicle as they drove. Finally, his phone buzzed, and he snatched it up, mouth going a little dry.

**L: Oh yeah, we’re en route now. 😊 Thank you Light, this is… I don’t know what to say, even in text. I was just going to go home and study.**

_And soon I’ll be able to get clean… this is so surreal._ He couldn’t help but giggle, face red as he tried to push away the dirty thoughts going through his head.

**L: Probably be there in a few minutes**

Light grinned as he pulled on his clothes, tapping back quickly. 

**Light: Don’t get too excited, it’s just pizza even if it WILL have pineapple. :)**

**Light: I’m headed down to the lobby and will meet you there**

He pushed his phone into his pocket and headed to the door, turning around abruptly as he remembered his _other_ guest. _Ryuk’s dumb soaps, shit._ Light grabbed a whole armful of apples and approached Ryuk, immediately getting the shinigami's attention with such a bounty.

“Hey buddy, why don’t you finish that up in the entertainment room downstairs? I have someone coming over.” He looked down at the armful of apples, smirking as Ryuk salivated and reached for them. “You agree?” There would probably be complaints to the complex from whoever was currently using the cinema that ‘the broadcasts aren’t working again’ or ‘it’s those damned soaps again,’ but it wasn’t like his neighbors could know the real reason the channel always switched back to Hideki Ryuga. He’d kicked Ryuk out plenty of other times for...various reasons. 

“Uhhh...ok. Hand over the goods.” Ryuk nodded, scooping up the apples and phasing through the floor in a hurry in case Light changed his mind. 

Light breathed a sigh of relief, walking briskly to the elevator and taking it down to the lobby, butterflies in his stomach as he tapped his foot impatiently. _He’s going to take a shower here. He’s going to be naked in MY shower. Oh shit..._ He couldn’t think about such things now, not when L was about to BE here. But he had a feeling it would be hovering in the back of his mind all during pizza.

L giggled at the ‘ _it’s just pizza_ ’ comment, rolling his eyes. “Sure it is,” he murmured happily under his breath, fingers flying fast over the keyboard.

**L: Okay! I can see the complex from here, see you soon.**

He shoved his phone in his backpack, settling back against the seat. “Your name’s Mogi?” he asked, gaze sliding up to the man driving. He received a nod, and smiled. “I’m L. Um. Obviously you don’t have to answer this, but… does Light usually invite random people over?” _Because even if he just sees me as someone he wants to be friends with, this isn’t ‘just pizza’ for ME._ He could see the building coming up, and didn’t really expect an answer. “He seems cool, but I didn’t get the impression that he does things impulsively, is all.” _Or that he has many friends,_ L nearly said, but he bit his tongue at the last second. His filter was practically non existent, but after the last time he’d tried to make friends, he didn’t want to fuck this up. _I need to pay attention to what I say._

Mogi glanced up to the rear view mirror, catching the eye of the person he was taking over to his employer’s apartment. He wasn’t given to idle gossip and had a feeling that Light wouldn’t appreciate him divulging many details of his life. But this _was_ highly unusual, in fact it had never happened in the past two years he’d been driving for Light. “No sir, can’t say that Yagami-san makes a habit of it.” 

He grunted a soft chuckle as he pulled into the circular drive in front of the Park Court Tower. “Impulsive is not really his MO.” _Not lately anyway._ He put the car in park and got out, opening the door for L and standing aside, giving a nod to Light who was emerging from the lobby. “Have a nice evening, sir. I’ll take you home when you’re ready.”

_Sir?_ L ducked his head a little, grinning to himself at that. He was somewhat surprised that Mogi had answered, but the thrill that went through him on hearing that Light seemed to be breaking some habits _for him_ said it all. _What makes me so special?_ “Cool,” he said softly, cheeks red as he hopped out of the car and gave the big man a nod of thanks, eyes going wide as he took in how Light looked.

Light smiled as he saw the familiar Mercedes pull into the drive, walking down the steps to meet L at the car. He slipped some money into Mogi’s hand as he kept his eyes on L, “Thanks for coming, hope you’re hungry.” He motioned to the tower, letting L follow him into the lobby. “I usually order from Seirenkan, but if you have another preference?” He punched the elevator button, hoping L wasn’t put off by the ‘weirdness’ of Light having a driver and that Mogi had kept his peace.

“Thank you for the ride, Mogi-san,” L said belatedly, smiling widely at Light and nodding emphatically as he followed the other man, swallowing hard as he tried to surreptitiously check him out. _Damn, he looks so good in that color, and here I am looking like a slob. I don’t belong here._ L lifted his gaze again, hoping Light hadn’t caught him looking at his ass, and latched onto the question. “Ugh, I’m starving. I don’t really have any preference, though. I’ve never had anything from Seirenkan, so that sounds fine to me.” 

In an effort to not be completely obvious, L looked around the beautiful lobby, sure he looked like a fish with his mouth hanging open. _I could never afford to live in this place, damn._ “How much does it cost to-” _Shit!_ Biting his lip, L looked at Light sheepishly before glancing away again. “Sorry. Um. I have no filter.” 

Light stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 23rd floor, a slight blush on his cheeks as he wondered... _was L checking me out? Or is he just out of sorts because of how I live?_ He didn’t dwell on it, not wanting to set himself up for disappointment. He laughed softly at L’s question as the elevator rose, sticking his hands in his pockets and leaning against the sleek chrome wall. “No, it’s ok, I know this is an odd situation for a student. But I ah…” He looked away, unable to keep from smiling as he spun his practiced lie. “...made some good stock picks a few years back. Just lucky, I guess.” 

_Good stock picks, huh?_ L smiled at that, giving Light a curious look. He had never had the luxury of actually having money to put into the stock market, but he knew that if he _did_ , he probably could have been able to afford a place like this, as well. “Damn. That _is_ lucky. I’ll admit, I’m a little jealous.”

Light shrugged and pushed off the wall when the doors opened, walking to his front door and holding his phone up to the digital lock. “Other than the two roommates who didn’t work out, you’re the only other person I’ve brought over here.” He opened the door into his expansive loft, the curved floor-to-ceiling glass wall allowing the full neon cityscape of Tokyo to be seen from on high. “Anyway, there’s perks to living here but um…” He ducked his head, walking over to the black marble kitchen to pick up the menu for the pizza place. “...I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t lonely at times. All my neighbors are old businessmen or expats who aren’t even here but for a month or two.” Because of that, Light didn’t know many people in this building at all, just seeing them in passing on his way to the gym or the rooftop pool.

L continued to look around, wide eyed, as he followed Light into his apartment. “You keep mentioning these roommates. What happened there? Personalities too different?” _A digital lock? Oh NICE. This place is ridiculously fancy._ L deliberately did not think about the admission Light had made about- _nope. Don’t do it. Don’t get your hopes up._ “Or did they trash the place? Leave clothes all over the place?” _Develop unrequited feelings for you, maybe. That seems like a distinct possibility._

L stopped with a gasp as he caught sight of that _view_. He was still listening to Light, definitely, but… “Wow,” he breathed, grinning to himself. _It looks like a painting._ “I think this view has to be one of the perks, huh?” Dropping his backpack, he stepped over to the window, pressing one hand against it as he just _stared_ for a moment, taking it all in. _One day I’ll be able to afford something like this._ He snapped out of his reverie when Light walked over to him with the menu, and he took it, a blush warming his cheeks again as he giggled, giving a quick once over to options. “Sorry, I got a little swept up. It must suck to not have anyone your own age to talk to in this beautiful place.” If he had been talking to anyone else, that might have come out sarcastically. Hell, if it had been the aloof Light he’d _first_ met and tried to annoy, it might have come out sarcastically. But he meant it. _Aloof Light wouldn’t have invited me, though._

Light watched L wander around his place in a half-daze, smiling softly and feeling a little self-conscious. But he was also pleased that L liked this place since Light had taken a lot of care with picking it out and practically gutting the interior to make it exactly how _he_ wanted it. It was sparsely furnished in a minimalist style but every piece of furniture was extremely comfortable and had a purpose. He just didn’t like a lot of clutter, finding it distracting. 

“Well, my first roommate was Misa Amane, you might know her from To-Oh. She was a music and fashion major, left this past semester before she went on tour.” He walked to the window with L, recalling the first time he’d seen this impressive view too, how magical it had felt. “She ah, developed feelings for me and that just made things uncomfortable since, um…” He laughed, a little embarrassed how all that had gone down. “...well, I didn’t feel the same way.” He caught L’s eye just a moment, wondering if the man suspected why Light hadn’t felt that way about someone who had been hands-down the most popular girl at To-Oh. “I got the digital lock installed after she kept trying to come back after I kicked her out. She was surprisingly industrious about cloning any new lock I put in.” He shuddered a little, since it had only been in the past 6 months that she’d left him alone, now that she was a touring pop star. 

L stayed quiet when Light started talking about his roommates, eyes widening at the revelation that Misa Amane had been the first one and face flushing as he realized that he’d been hearing about Light for _two years_ before ever meeting him. _So HE’S the guy she wouldn’t shut up about in class._ That brief moment when Light looked at him in the middle of his explanation made L wonder what the other man was thinking-- _is he implying that he doesn’t like women, or is that wishful thinking on my part?_ \-- and he stared at Light’s profile now as he continued to talk about his experience with the petite singer. He didn’t particularly like Amane, _either_ , but that was because she was far too loud and boisterous for him, and had badgered him relentlessly in the (lone) vocal music class he had taken to be her partner for every duet or group project. Had she been a little more focused on doing her assignments and a little less over the top, he might have liked her, but… something about her had always made him uncomfortable. Finding out that she had done some creepy, stalker-esque things made him doubly glad he had never really interacted with her any more than was necessary.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that, she’s, uhhh... I didn’t like her much, either,” L replied softly. He hesitated, biting his lip as he debated, not wanting to derail Light’s thoughts. But the urge to share won over, and he offered, “I, uh, had a couple classes with her. Vocal music, and an art course that overlapped with hers. She literally _only_ did the ‘fun stuff’ and blew off all the real work.” He left it at that, not really feeling his experience with her was relevant; he understood where Light was coming from and that was what was important.

Light rolled his eyes and nodded, because yeah, that sounded like Misa. “The other one was Rem Ishi-i. We got along alright at first, she was an anthro major and took her studies pretty seriously. But it became clear that she just...didn’t like me for whatever reason, became more and more rude to me the longer we lived together. She ended up moving out and we didn’t really part on the best terms.” It didn’t really matter since Rem didn’t move in the same social circles as Light, but she’d taken Misa’s side and tried to spread nasty rumors about him that weren’t even close to the truth. He shrugged, “I gave up looking after that.” Softer, with a sneaky glance at L, “But you’re right, it is a shame not to have someone to talk to here. If someone could bear to talk to me, I guess.” _Other than the ghost that haunts me._

The story about Rem made L cringe, because he remembered being on the fringes of her tiffs with other people due to her friendship with Misa, and she was a _nasty_ piece of work. _I’m glad I never interacted with her._ “Fuck. Rem is scary. Between Misa and then her…” Sighing, L gave him a sympathetic look. “No wonder you stopped looking.”

Light handed the menu to L, eager to change the subject from his bad roommates, and tapped the pizza he usually got. “Extra-large margarita pizza with pineapple? They have other things too if you want more. I can put the call in while you shower.” He walked over to the door to the enormous white and grey marble bathroom, opening the door for L invitingly. “Feel free to use my soap or whatever. There’s clean towels on the warming rack.” 

L studied the menu again as he retrieved his backpack, following Light over to the bathroom, and the moment he laid eyes on the interior, he could do nothing but stare. _This is HUGE._ His gaze darted around the room, and he laughed under his breath as he tried to will away the filthy images bombarding him. “Um…” He stepped in, eyes wide, and belatedly handed Light the menu back in a daze. “No, that sounds…” _Focus._ Taking a deep breath, L tore his eyes away from the roomy shower stall to look at Light hopefully. “Actually, would you, uh, be averse to getting the tiramisu as _well_ as the pizza?” _I can’t wait to get in there, ugh._

Light laughed self-consciously, glad when L was distracted by the bathroom. “Sure, pineapple pizza and tiramisu. Take your time. They usually come in around twenty minutes or so.” Light left L to go shower, walking back to the main space and making the call for their order as he watched the city lights blink. It was ironic that in one of the most populous cities in the world, he felt like the loneliest among them, and felt a twinge of _want_ thinking about what it would be like if L were his roommate. But then, he didn’t know much about the man and it would probably seem like a presumptuous, odd offer after his tales of his other roommate situations gone wrong. They’d only barely met but it felt so comfortable to talk to L, he’d have to be careful to play it cool and not jump the gun just because of that.

Laughing a little as Light left the bathroom, L took a minute just to walk around and touch everything, a wide grin on his face. _Why is there so much space?_ He swallowed hard, going to his backpack and getting his spare clothes out, setting them on the counter top before making his way to the shower, shucking out of his dirty shirt and kicking his jeans off as he went with a sort of childish glee. The water didn’t take long to warm up once he turned it on, reminding him that _Light was in here only half an hour ago, fuck._ He scanned the shelf of fancy products, fingers against his lips as the water beat down on him, gaping in confusion. “What the hell _is_ all this stuff?” he muttered, looking around for something he actually knew what to do with and finally finding a bar of actual soap behind everything else. He plucked it out of it’s hiding spot gratefully and shook his head, giggling as he began to _fucking FINALLY_ clean off the sweat of the day. The smell of vanilla and spices gave him pause, and he brought the soap up to his nose to sniff. _Oh, it’s the soap._ He sniffed it again, grinning and murmuring, “This smells really good, damn.”

As L scrubbed, he let himself fantasize for _just_ a moment about what it might be like to live here, what it might be like if Light… _Ugh, what I wouldn’t give for him to come in here right now and… FUCK. Down. He might not be into guys._ Blushing hard, he bit his lip to stifle his whimper and finished scrubbing down quickly. He put the soap back in it’s spot, grabbing the bottle of shampoo and beginning to lather it into his hair. Light had told him to take his time, and he didn’t want to abuse that offer by jerking off in his shower, but it was becoming _extremely_ difficult to keep those thoughts at bay. _Think about something else. Anything else._ The next five minutes were spent thinking about his least favorite things (socks, broccoli, the sound of markers squeaking on dry erase boards, damp creepy basements…), and making sure he was squeaky clean before he finally stepped out of the shower, toweling off and pulling on his clean clothes gratefully. 

Light was sitting on the couch, flicking through the various news programs to see if there were any criminals faces and names he would be interested in later. He usually just checked the internet at night when he was sitting down to write, but there were things on the news that would sometimes be mentioned in passing that caught his eye. Tonight was pretty quiet, although he made a mental note to check up more on the now-notorious serial rapist that had been targeting co-eds at various universities in the city. It was disturbing that the police had made so little progress on that case over the past several months but the perp had been extremely careful about leaving evidence-- or witnesses, unfortunately. 

L stuffed everything else into his backpack and re-emerged from the bathroom, going over to join Light, face still faintly flushed and hair dripping onto his spare work t-shirt. “Thank you again, Light, I feel much more human now,” he said, voice soft as he pushed his hands into his pockets. 

Light looked up with a smile as L emerged freshly-scrubbed from the bathroom, the pleasant fragrance of his favorite soap wafting out behind him. _Oh shit, he looks really sexy with wet hair, and smells so damn good_. “No problem. I wouldn’t want to be stuck in work clothes either.” His mouth went dry as he saw that L was now wearing a necklace that looked rather like a choke chain, wide eyes flicking from it to L’s face before flushing slightly at the flood of dirty thoughts that suddenly rushed in (and the blood rushing straight to his crotch). _Fuck...don’t think about yanking it while taking him from behind...oh no…_

L was too distracted by the news program to notice the way Light was staring at him, frowning hard and biting his lip as he caught the tail end of the update on the rapist. _Fuck. Not another one._ He had been following the case closely, and not only because it seemed like a case Kira would be interested in, but also because it infuriated him that the police couldn’t seem to find anything on the perp. _There has got to be something connecting those attacks that the police aren’t looking for hard enough._

Light forced himself to gaze back at the news program but wasn’t paying attention now, images of L naked in _his_ shower, rubbing _his_ soap all over L’s naked body invading his mind. He cleared his throat, gesturing to the couch for L to join him if he liked. “Pizza should be here in 10 minutes or so. Can I get you something to drink while we wait? I have some wine or beer.” He figured L was old enough to drink but it occurred to him now that he didn’t know exactly _how_ old L was. He laughed musically, getting up from the couch. “You’re old enough to drink right? I don’t know why I keep the stuff around since I never drink alone….and no one’s ever here.” _Ugh, stop saying stuff that makes you look like a loser._ “Guess it was just the obligatory ‘now I’m 21 and can buy it’ type of thing.”

It took Light clearing his throat for L to refocus his attention, and he sank down onto the couch beside him, letting out a subdued laugh. “I don’t normally drink much, but… sure, why not. I have no responsibilities this weekend-” _Except for studying._ “- so I might as well have a beer or two.” That laugh shivered pleasantly along his skin, and L pressed his lips together to stop himself saying anything about it.

Snorting, L threw Light a look of amused disbelief. _I tell him I’m in my last year, and he asks if I’m old enough to drink. Do I look younger, or something?_ “I think 23 is old enough to drink anywhere in the world, Light.” He laughed and shrugged self consciously, resting his arms on the back of the couch as he watched Light. _He’s not that much younger than me._ “I don’t keep alcohol in my apartment. Honestly, I usually only drink if I’m, uhhh… out at karaoke, which happens sporadically at best-” _Liar, you go to Goldfinger once or twice a month for their karaoke._ “-or when finals are over. I don’t really go to the student bars.” _The gay bars in Shinjuku, on the other hand_ … L sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, worrying it between his teeth for a moment before saying slowly, “I don’t really feel… welcome in most student spaces.”

Light paused at his wine rack on the counter, looking over the various vintages. He had bought the rack and the fancy wines mostly for show, but maybe he’d get a chance to actually drink one of them. Plus, he felt he needed some liquid courage. Even if L didn’t want a drink, Light might deviate from his routine and just have a drink by himself. 

Light gave L a look of amusement over his shoulder when the man took his question about his age literally, laughing softly to himself. “It was more of a rhetorical question. I’m not exactly going to card you.” 

_A rhetorical… oh._ L flushed, gaze lowering. _I did it again. Of course he didn’t mean it literally. I thought I was getting better at picking those things up._ “Yeah, I know,” he said with a nervous laugh, trying to save face.

Light pulled a pinot noir from the wine rack and set it aside, drifting to look in the fridge at what beers he had. Light usually kept Sapporo’s around in case Mogi ever wanted to have the rare drink with him and chat, but he noticed that he only had the large size. _Hmm. He’s going to think I’m trying to get him drunk._ He smiled to himself and took it anyway, along with an iced beer glass from the sub-zero freezer. “I hope Sapporo’s ok. Mogi loves the stuff and sometimes I can twist his arm to come have a drink with me up here.”

L could hear the program in the background still talking about the rapist case and frowned hard. It was times like these that he wished he had access to police information, because he was _sure_ he could have solved this case much quicker than the police. “I’m not top of my classes for nothing,” he murmured to himself, keeping his ears pricked for any new details. He was so focused that he almost missed what Light said, trying to shift gears as he processed the question. “Wait, what?” Before Light could repeat himself, L blurted out, “OH! No, Sapporo is good, thank you.” 

Light popped the beer bottle open and poured it into the glass, taking it over to L on the couch before pouring himself a glass of pinot and joining him. 

L took the glass gratefully, murmuring another soft ‘thank you’. Taking a gulp, L waited until Light had rejoined him on the couch before saying softly, “This is a really bad case. I’ve been following it since they realized the attacks were linked, trying to find any information I could just online, but the police are being _so_ tight lipped about what is happening.”

Light frowned as he took a sip of wine. “Makes my blood boil that they haven’t gotten any closer to catching that person. How many more people have to die before the police just admit they need some damn help?” _Like just release what evidence you have and let someone competent on the case._ “And no, I don’t mean that poseur detective Deneuve.” Light caught himself talking out loud, turning to give L a slightly alarmed look. “Oh...sorry, don’t mind me, just musing out loud.” He drank deeply of the wine, feeling like he may have said too much given that Deneuve was supposedly a crackshot detective and well respected. To someone in criminal psychology like L, they may even be an idol. _Pfft. He’s a joke. Gotten no closer to me in two years of trumpeting about how he’s going to catch Kira. Boring._

L pulled his feet up onto the couch and curled them up under him as he slouched lower, glaring at the TV screen. “I know how you feel. Everything I hear about it just makes me want to either punch something or cry. Their poor families.” _Not to mention the victims._ Light’s next comment startled him, and he turned to stare at Light with wide eyes, gaping in astonishment. _Did he really just say-_ He bit his lip, trying not to laugh at the alarmed backpedaling Light did. _Musing out loud, sure, uh huh._ A giggle escaped him anyway, and L quickly said with a hint of grin, “No, no, it’s fine. World’s Greatest Detective is a joke title, as far as I’m concerned.”

The program moved on to the human interest section of the news, and Light turned to L on the couch, curious about something he’d said. “So, if you don’t mind me asking...why don’t you feel welcome in student hangouts?” He added quickly, “Not that I blame you, I don’t really either.”

Even that faint grin was wiped off L’s face when Light asked him _that_ question. _Oof. What am I supposed to say to that?_ He looked back to the TV screen, taking another long swallow of beer before sighing. “I just… People don’t understand me. They think I’m too… different.” He reached up idly to finger the chain around his neck, twisting the links in his fingers as he tried to put his thoughts in some semblance of order, to try and explain something he’d never really felt the need to explain. “Like… my professors don’t like the way I dress, say I’m too anti-authoritarian. Other students think I’m-” _An android. Ugh, that fucking nickname._ “- too robotic or cold, and because sometimes I don’t always get jokes right away, or take things too literally. And a lot of people think I’m stupid because I started university later than them.” _That_ made him laugh a little. “Jokes on them, cause _I’m_ top of all my classes, and they aren’t.” _But mostly, they don’t like that I am not ashamed of being attracted to guys, and they think I’m a freak._ He actually opened his mouth to say that, but closed it just as quickly. 

Light started to say something about how most people their age are idiots, but his door chime sounded just then and he shot L a beaming smile. “Pizza’s here!” He set his wine glass on the coffee table (which was a saltwater aquarium full of colorful tropical fish and coral) and leapt up to answer the door, swiping his wallet from the kitchen counter on the way. He opened it, stomach already growling as he smelled delicious food in the box the delivery guy was holding. 

L stared after Light as he hurried off to the door, eyes wide and heart pounding from that beautiful smile. _How could I have ever thought he was an asshole?_ he thought to himself, giggling under his breath as he slowly straightened up, shifting his focus to watch the fish swimming around in the aquarium. _He has such unique pieces, I’ve never seen anything like this._

“Hello sir, sorry that it took so long. I um, forget the dessert and had to go back and get it.” The delivery guy grinned sheepishly, recognizing Light from all the many times he’d ordered before. “So we threw in an extra one for free. We appreciate your repeat business.” 

Light grinned at that, now realizing he was plenty hungry enough to eat pizza and a dessert of his own. “Oh nonsense, you weren’t late. But I’ll gladly take the dessert, thank you.” He took the credit card slip and added the price of the extra dessert to the guy’s tip, handing it back with a smile before taking the food. 

The delivery man beamed at the tip, waving and bowing as Light shut the door and took the food inside to the kitchen island. He called to L jokingly, “Alright, come and take a look and see if this is up to your standards of pineapple pizza.” Light was feeling in such high spirits as he bustled around to get them plates and napkins, unable to remember the last he’d shared a casual meal with someone. “I guess we could eat at the dining room table but uh…” He gave the modern art table a sideways glance, thinking that he’d rather just eat on the couch but not wanting to appear uncouth. “...if you don’t mind being a slob with me on the couch, there’s supposed to be fireworks from Aoyama Park tonight and we could get a better view from there.” Really he just wanted to sit closer to L rather than across the long granite slab of table.

Light opened the box and hummed, mouth watering as he took it in. Idly, “It’s so funny you like pineapple topping too. Wish you’d been looking for a place to live when I was looking for a roommate.” Light looked up a moment before reaching to take a couple slices, just stopping himself from asking if L happened to be looking for a place _now._

L took another drink before setting his glass down, wandering over to the island when Light called to him. His gaze went to the dining table, and though it was very nice, it didn’t really appeal as much as the prospect of watching fireworks from the couch. “Um, this pizza smells _amazing_ ,” L declared, reaching to pile three pieces on his plate when Light opened the box, licking sauce off his fingers. Picking his plate up, he continued with a grin, “And I will _always_ err on the side of being comfortable.”

Light was relieved when L said he preferred to sit on the couch to eat, because he still had certain decorum hammered into him about how to act when guests came to visit. He sat down beside L---not too close lest he feel crowded-- and tried a bite of the pizza, eyes glazing over at finally eating some real food today. “Mmmmmmm. Their pizza is always the best.” 

L sat down carefully as he tried to make sense of Light’s idle comment. _Did he say that because he’s trying to gauge my interest in moving in? Or am I just hearing what I want to hear?_ He stared as Light took a bite, already munching on a piece of pizza, _himself,_ as he considered. _He’s told me about the two disasters he’s had with roommates, so normally I would assume that he wouldn’t want to risk it. But he’s also… outright admitted to being lonely._

L smiled at Light, taking another bite and slouching against the couch, hyper aware of Light’s warm presence beside him and feeling a little light headed from the strong scent of… was that honey? He could pick out a few different notes, but it was a warm scent, both sweet _and_ spicy, and it was oddly intoxicating mixed with the smell of baked pineapple and tomato. _Is his interest… purely in finding someone who gets what he’s gone through? Like, pure friendship? Or am I right in thinking he might want something more?_ He averted his gaze when it seemed like Light had noticed his staring, pushing his thoughts into order and flushing at certain things that couldn’t be misinterpreted. _He clearly thinks I’m interesting enough to want to break his habits, he clearly wants to spend time with me… and despite my awkwardness with some things, he keeps asking questions, so obviously my answers aren’t putting him off._

Light was usually so careful to make sure he didn’t make a big mess with the sauce, but he stopped mid-bite as he noticed L staring at him unblinkingly. Slightly panicked, he felt the blood rise to his face, “Do I...do I have sauce on my face?” _Shit, I’m probably eating like a slob._ “Sorry.” He put the slice down and grabbed his napkin, hurriedly wiping his mouth and feeling a little surprised when it came away clean. _What was he staring at then?_

L shook his head quickly, swallowing his mouthful as he said with a self conscious chuckle, “It’s too bad I didn’t _know_ you when you were looking for a roommate. I would have taken you up on it in a heartbeat.” Pausing, “This is _delicious_.”

Light went back to eating a little more delicately, but stopped again when L mentioned he would have taken up the offer to move in. Light swallowed his bite and reached for his wine glass, feeling the warmth of the alcohol spread through him and soothe his nerves. But in the same breath, L switched to talking about the pizza and Light wasn’t sure if that meant that the topic wasn’t really open for discussion. The last thing he wanted to do was make things weird and extend the offer only for L to turn it down, or worse, feel _obligated_ to accept. He mumbled, “Good, I’m glad you like it, since I hyped it up so much.” He felt a little disappointed in himself that he couldn’t just spit it out, but he felt like he was working up to it.

L gestured to the TV for lack of anything else to do, caught up in his thoughts even as he kept his eyes on Light, gaze wandering idly to rest on Light’s mouth for a moment. “Did… we want to watch something else before the fireworks start?” _He smells amazing, he looks amazing, and he invited me over for seemingly no reason. And I really want him. Fuck._ Being able to talk to Light like this was so natural and comfortable, he wasn’t really sure what to make of it. And even though he had talked a big game about risk vs. payoff earlier, now he was _doubting_ himself, just like he always did when it came to his personal life, though not without good reason. Lifting his gaze to Light’s again, he tilted his head, a curious smile flickering across his lips. He needed to get out of his head. 

Light reached for the remote on the coffee table, switching it to the satellite TV menu where you could pick from literally hundreds of programs. He handed the remote to L, “Sure, feel free to pick whatever you want. There’s movies and shows on demand too. I can only watch so much of the news before it just puts me in a bad mood.” _More like in a mood to write names._

Despite the slight awkwardness when Light had misinterpreted L’s staring-- and really, what else had he been _expecting_ Light to think when he was staring like a creep?-- there was something very endearing about how Light was acting right now, and as he reached for the remote, fingers closing over Light’s for a brief moment and sending a hot thrill through him, he couldn’t help but smile again. _I haven’t smiled this much in a long time._

Light froze when L’s fingers touched his as he passed the remote, looking up when he felt the electric thrill of skin touching skin. It was a nearly foreign sensation, he just didn’t touch people, _ever,_ and had come to completely believe he was touch-averse in return. The few times Misa or other girls had tried, or during his _very_ brief stint dating Kiyomi Takada (for show and to make his parents stop badgering him), he’d found it wholly unpleasant. But this didn’t feel like that, not at _all_. It felt the complete opposite, like he wanted nothing more than to get more of it. 

A soft crack of what sounded like thunder echoed outside and Light’s eyes were pulled to the windows as fireworks started to stream through the night sky. “Ah, here we go.” Light gave L a soft smile and motioned to the golden sparklers that were starting off the show. “And we’ve got the best seats in the house.” He’d forgotten what the occasion was, but vaguely recalled it was commemorating an anniversary of the city park. Nothing that exciting but it was still beautiful to watch from the comfort of his couch. It was a good distraction too because every time L started to play with that chain around his neck, Light felt hot arousal pooling in his gut. At least this gave him something else to look at, or pretend to look at. 

The crack of sound that split the air drew L’s attention, and he dropped the remote, grinning delightedly at the pretty display. “I haven’t watched fireworks in a while, I always seem to be too busy working or studying.” The display was starting to get more colorful, and he reached out blindly to clutch at Light’s arm in his excitement, but ended up grabbing his hand instead. 

Light nibbled his pizza as more colorful fireworks illuminated the sky, casting a sidelong glance at L. As if the universe was reading his mind, he breathed in sharply when L grabbed his hand in response to the sudden spray of fireworks outside, which was the final catalyst he needed to blurt out what was really on his mind, “Do you want to live here?” 

L only processed afterwards that Light had blurted something out at the same time they’d touched. _What?_ He froze, wide eyes darting down to stare at their linked hands before darting up to Light’s face, mouth hanging open as he realized what Light had _said_. “You…”

Light cast his eyes down and laughed softly, pausing before trying to recover a little more smoothly. “I..I mean...it would be nice to have a roommate. If you’re still looking, that is. If not, don’t worry about it. It’s just um...unusual that I enjoy being around anyone.”

L slowly let go, a little dazzled by the display and Light’s timing, and- and _did_ he want to live here? _Hell yes!_ Even the attempt Light made to seem more smooth was endearing, because the way he had initially blurted out the question made L _giddy_. “Light, Light!” He laughed, looking out the window as a massive cloud of pure white sparkles exploded across the sky, and then back at Light, nodding emphatically as he pressed his hand this time to the other man’s arm. “Yes. If you mean it, _yes_. I would love to live here.” _Then I wouldn’t be alone._

Watching L’s childlike wonder was intoxicating, and Light smiled softly at the display of pure happiness at the simple pleasure of fireworks. When L released his hand he felt the loss of it acutely, nearly wincing with the urge to grab it back and hold it tightly. The hand on his arm felt like a consolation prize but he relished it anyway, especially paired with the words L spoke. “Really?” He smiled brightly, so relieved that his awkward attempt to broach the question hadn’t been poorly received. A little overenthusiastically, “Yes! Yes I do mean it.”

_He means it._ L exhaled hard, not even trying to hold back his beaming expression anymore, because this was an absolutely surreal moment. He looked around the wide open room, and then back out the window to the way the night sky was bursting with color, hands nearly shaking, he was so overwhelmed. _Please don’t let me be dreaming._ He surreptitiously pinched his leg sharply, and it smarted enough that he had to laugh, his grip on Light’s arm tightening for a moment. _Not dreaming then._

Light felt a strong desire then to lean in and kiss the man but that would have been _so_ inappropriate given that they’d just... _oh._ A realization hit him that he might have just cockblocked himself without meaning to by asking L to be his roommate, suggesting an inherently platonic, business relationship. But then he couldn’t feel badly about that either, he was just so excited about the prospect of having a friend near, that would honestly be enough if it was all L was interested in. _Worse case scenario, he leaves like the others, but I want to give it a shot._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regarding L's text about the tips: 2000 yen is only around $18-$20 US, but since the tip jar is mostly there for the students that pass through the cafe, or tourists, they don't typically expect to _get_ many tips. 
> 
> The inspiration for Light’s apartment is here: http://japanpropertycentral.com/tokyo-real-estate-for-sale/park-court-aoyama-the-tower-23f/  
> The car Mogi drives for Light is a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class: https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/class/maybach-s-class/sedan  
> The pizza place Seirinkan is real: https://theseirinkan.com/menu.html


	3. Flotsam and Jetsam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After L agrees to move in, Light gives him the grand tour while they discuss their future goals and Deneuve.

L was still smiling widely at the lovely display outside, inching slightly closer to Light and sighing happily as he offered, “This place really is too big for one person, y’know?” _I’m going to LIVE here. I’ll have space to spread out instead of being cramped… and we BOTH understand the need for peace and quiet._ A giggle left him, and he shrugged self consciously. “And I mean, I don’t make a _ton_ of money, but I’ll… I can pay whatever you think is fair for rent or expenses or whatever.” _And the lease on my current apartment is nearly up, anyway._

Light’s arm was still tingling from where L was clutching it, and the fireworks were reaching their zenith now, lighting up the entire sky as well as the room with each burst. L was gazing at them intently but Light was staring at L, thinking how fragile and beautiful he looked, an open book of admiration and giddiness for something Light saw all through the year and took for granted by now. Softly, “You wouldn’t have to pay much rent. Maybe uh….” He tried to think of some amount that wouldn’t seem insulting but wouldn’t be onerous for L either. The loft was paid for, after all, and the extra utilities for one more person wouldn’t be much. “...5000 yen and your coffee services?”

L turned back to Light as the sparkling lights in the sky began to fade away, listening intently. “What?!” Laughing again, L poked him, and said, “5000 yen per what, week?” His smile widened into a smug grin at the ‘coffee services’ quip. “Okay, coffee services will gladly be rendered, because I actually _love_ that part of my job.”

Light found L’s reaction adorable, and he couldn’t help but smile at how happy the man seemed tonight. _Is he always like this, or is tonight something special for him like it is for me?_ He pretended to flinch when L poked him, laughing and squirming away. “No, 5000 yen a month. I don’t really need the money. Plus, who can put a price on good coffee? You do _not_ want to drink the dreck I try to make. Which is why I’m always in coffee shops.” _Good thing too, or I wouldn’t have met you._ He nodded, holding out his hand for L to shake it. “It’s a deal then? You could even move in this weekend if its convenient for you.” He figured that probably sounded overeager but he didn’t care.

L found himself mouthing ‘5000 yen a month’ wonderingly to himself as Light continued, shaking his head. _Damn, I pay four TIMES that on my tiny crappy place_. If he hadn’t already been sold on the prospect of moving in, _that_ would have been enough to seal the deal right there. “Hell yeah, it’s a deal,” he said with a laugh, cheeks pink as he reached out eagerly to shake Light’s hand, squeezing a little more affectionately than he probably should. _Fuck, it’s going to be some sweet torture living here with him if he doesn’t like me back._ “You really- wait, how quickly can you get a moving van or something?” he asked, eyes widening. “Cause, uhhhh, I don’t have a _lot_ of cluttery stuff like knickknacks or books-” Well, he _did_ have a lot of books. “- Or movies, but I _do_ have a bed, a couch and a small entertainment system which are kinda cumbersome. The rest of my furniture is basically IKEA shit that’s easily dis- and _re_ assembled.” And wouldn’t match the decor of this place at _all_ , but it was what he had for now, so he wanted to keep it, even if some of it ended up in storage or something.

None of which was really an answer to Light’s question of ‘when’, L belatedly realized. “But yeah, I could spend tomorrow and get all my shit ready to move this weekend if that’s actually cool with you, I imagine you would want some time to…” A soft laugh escaped him as he realized that maybe this weekend wasn’t the best time to _move_ , especially since there was only one more week of classes before final exams for this semester. On the other hand, he _had_ finished all of his projects this past week, so he just needed to hand them in and make sure he spent some time going over all his course notes.

Light’s thumb barely stroked across L’s hand when he released it, giving him a brief look that burned with more than just satisfaction at the acquiescence to their deal. “Don’t worry about a moving van, Mogi can work out those details and have people pack up all your things.” He waved away the thought of manual labor and boring menial tasks like that. “Just bring over anything fragile or that you don’t want touched and he’ll take care of the rest. He’s better at things like that than _I_ am, at least. I end up getting distracted and packing one dish in the span of 4 hours.” He giggled at the admission but it was true, Light just couldn’t focus on things that weren’t inherently interesting to him. 

“The second bedroom is plenty big, could fit most of your things. That would be totally your space, do whatever you want in there.” He paused, thinking about exactly what L _might_ be doing in there, and the somewhat thin wall separating their bedrooms. “But ah, if you don’t mind, I’d prefer anything large to go into my storage unit in the basement. I find a lot of clutter...distracting.” Light hoped that was ok, he had gotten used to how his apartment looked, how it felt. He was an extremely visual person, appreciating aesthetics and clean lines, simplicity of function and comfort. 

_Ugh, keep touching me like that, and I will probably agree to anything you WANT_ , L thought, reluctantly letting his hand fall back to his lap and trying not to seem too gobsmacked as he listened to Light’s suggestions. He could definitely relate to being easily distracted-- _especially right now_ \-- but the idea of leaving everything up to someone else was foreign to L. Not that he would turn it down, it would be a novel experience to _not_ have to scramble to get everything done on his own, and besides, having room to spread his things around would be fun. “Anything large, like… my couch?” He laughed, shrugging. “I figured half of my furniture would probably end up in storage, I don’t mind. Long as I get to keep one of my bookshelves, at least, it’s cool.” _And my vinyl banner, and my shadow boxes. Oh… I should probably bring my TOYS over myself, don’t want Mogi or his guys to see THOSE._ The thought of having to explain away sex toys to someone he’d barely met was a little embarrassing. He had some cool things he had collected over the years, and some artwork that he had hanging in his apartment that he wanted to find a place for, but for the most part, he had relatively few things, so he assumed that he and Light would get along nicely in that regard. “I mean, I guess we can figure that out later, I _would_ like to see the rest of the place first, if I’m going to live here.” 

“I can give you the grand tour if you like. I use the spare bedroom as an office now but that would be your room.” Light felt a twinge of anxiety because the Death Note was in there now, in the wall safe he’d hidden behind a large mirror hung on the wall. _Doesn’t matter, it’s locked away and I’ll move it to my room before he moves in._ But still...Light knew that there was a funny feeling he got even being close to the magical item. It was probably just him, because he was bound to it after all.

L exclaimed with a laugh, “Wait, before you give me the tour, do you have an espresso machine? Because if not, we _need_ to get one, mine _just_ broke beyond repair yesterday, and that is an absolute _must_ have.” His eyes danced gleefully at that, because how _great_ would it be to be able to practice his latte art for someone who would _appreciate_ it, rather than just himself? _I just want more of a chance to flirt with him at every opportunity, let’s be honest here._

Light nodded but was apprehensive, thinking of the broken hunk of junk espresso maker he’d bought on a whim and never gotten any good use from. It had come highly recommended, but he’d mostly bought it because it looked beautiful on his counter. _Before I threw it in the cabinet._ “I actually _do_ have a La Pavoni but unfortunately the espresso it makes is _terrible_. Surprising too since I’d heard so many good things about that model. But I’m happy to buy a new one.” _If it means you’ll move in here._

L was just lifting his forgotten pizza to his mouth again when he had to turn and stare at Light in shock. “You have a _La Pavoni_?! Holy shit, let me see it!” Even if it was a bad model, they were so gorgeous that L _needed_ to see it in person before Light tossed it. “Please? They’re supposed to be the best home model on the market, and I’ve never seen one in person!” He set his pizza back down on the coffee table and stood up, hovering eagerly as he waited for Light. 

Light laughed at L’s excitement to see the ill-fated espresso machine, shrugging as he stood up too. “Uh oh, well if you insist.” He motioned L into the kitchen, opening up a large cabinet under the island and hauling out the chrome and copper La Pavoni and setting it on the counter. “Here it is. Like I said, I never got it to make me anything more than mud, but maybe you know how to fix it?” He scratched at his chin, leaning against the island as he gave the machine an unimpressed look. “Be my guest if you want to try.” He was still feeling high from the knowledge that L, a man he was becoming more intensely attracted to by the minute, was going to move in here _soon_. Coupled with that was the anxiety of how long he could hide said attraction and keep up appearances, and a burning curiosity as to what L’s exact orientation was. Maybe with a little more wine he might get the courage up to ask him.

L’s face lit up when Light set the espresso maker on the counter, and he immediately had to touch it. “Oh my god, this is _gorgeous_.” Grinning, he began to examine it more closely. “Hmm. Let me see here…” He began to fiddle with the machine, asking curiously, “Where’s the manual? And are you able to tell me what was going wrong, aside from it making _mud_?” Just because he’d never used something as expensive as _this_ didn’t mean it didn’t function essentially the same as the cheap ones, and he was confident he could figure out what was wrong with it with a short examination. “I can probably fix it tonight, if it’s something simple.” He looked up at Light with a smile. 

Light bent down to rummage under the island for the original box the espresso maker came in, pulling it out and setting it on the counter too. Peering inside, he saw a host of spare parts he’d never understood the use for as well as the manual, which he now handed to L. “There you go. It’s not even an old machine, I only bought it a few months ago. I _wish_ I could tell you what’s wrong but I really have no idea.” It was a predominantly mechanical and steam-powered machine, although there was a heating element for the water reservoir. He grinned, leaning close to speak into L’s ear as the man fiddled with the machine, “You’d be my hero if you fixed it, and first month’s rent free.” But being so close backfired slightly as he smelled his soap on L’s neck, and he let out a pant of hot breath before pulling back quickly.

L gave Light a grateful smile as he took the manual from him, skimming through quickly. Even though it was a relatively simple process to check the main problem areas, it was _incredibly_ distracting to suddenly have Light so close to him, smelling so delicious and speaking _right_ in his ear like that. _Shit!_ Exhaling harshly, L’s gaze slid to the side, a subdued shudder rippling through him as he felt Light’s hot breath on his neck. It made him want to turn around and tug the younger man against him and kiss him senseless.

Light walked over to the coffee table to pick up his forgotten wine, calming his hormones. _Shit…_ “That’s not urgent though. I can give you the tour now if you like.”

Light was halfway across the room before L could do much more than turn his _head_ , and he stared after him in a daze. “I am so fucked.” His whisper was barely even audible to his _own_ ears as he turned back to the machine. That Light couldn’t explain what was wrong was merely a minor inconvenience, he had a sneaking suspicion that it was going to be a simple fix, just based on the way Light spoke about things like _moving_. “Thanks. I’m just going to take a quick look now, while I’ve got it here, and then we can take the tour, ‘kay?” 

Redoubling his focus, L poked around for a minute before announcing, “Okay, well you definitely need to descale your water reservoir, for one. That’s an easy fix. The heating element looks like it might need to be cleaned, as well, and the handle needs a little adjustment, because it’s definitely not using enough water at a time to brew, if you’re getting _mud_.” He craned his neck to look at Light and smiled. “If you give me that tour _now_ , I can fix it before Mogi takes me home, yeah?” 

Light nodded behind his wine glass, eyes widening as he tried to pretend he knew what in the hell L was talking about. “Ahh, of course, yes that makes perfect sense.” He snorted softly, finishing off the rest of his glass and going to join L in the kitchen to pour some more, bringing L’s empty beer glass too. “So I just need to scale down the water, get a handle on some elements, and clean the, um, adjustment. Mmmhmm. Not sure why I didn’t do that before.” He broke into giggles, definitely feeling the pleasant effects of the wine. He was teasing of course, and if he hadn’t been so infuriated with the machine for not working perfectly right out of the box he _might_ have taken the time to figure out how to fix it. But it was imminently more fun to watch L in _his_ element, and Light looked forward to having actual non-mud coffee when the machine was in capable hands. “Yes, so the tour.” He refilled L’s Sapporo and handed it to him, beckoning him along.

L just snorted in laughter as Light teased him; it was clear from the mangled recitation that Light was clueless about how to use this machine, and it was adorable and _just_ as obvious that he knew it and wasn’t afraid to be silly as he drank more. _Oh dear. I think I could really fall for you._ He felt like he had a perma-smile on his face as he took the proffered glass of beer, taking a sip and paying close attention to everything Light was telling him.

Light started with the kitchen, “The oven’s convection and infrared heat, so that takes a little getting used to. Microwave, trash compactor. We have the subzero freezer here, but I don’t keep much in there so feel free to fill it if you like frozen dinners.” He turned to the sink, touching the handle once. “The faucet is touch control, so just touch it to get it to turn on, and if you move your finger like this…” He stroked a digit down the curved neck of the faucet, “...it gets hotter, and vice versa.” Light’s cheeks tinged pink slightly at the suggestive movement, but he turned away from L to hide it. “I’m sure you can peek in the cabinets and find out where everything is. There’s space if you have your own dishes and glasses.”

L found himself swallowing hard at the way Light demonstrated the faucet in the sink, though it was more the way the man pinkened and turned away that completely sold it for him. _Yeah, stroking anything like that will get it hotter, Light,_ he though, biting his lip as that image went through his head again. 

Light wandered over to the storage closet that also doubled as a spacious laundry room. “Washer and dryer in here, the ironing board slides out of the wall. You can run the laundry from a phone app, I’ll send it to you later. The building also has dry cleaning and they’ll just pick up your clothes and bring them back.” He took a long sip, figuring that L would see quickly that Light rarely used the laundry and preferred to just get everything dry cleaned out of convenience. 

Going back into the living room, Light pointed to a tall, curved modern bookshelf that was about half-full. “If you need more space for your books, feel free to put them in here. You already saw there’s satellite TV. There’s some game systems but I don’t play that much other than silly Nintendo ones when I need to blow off steam.” _Or when Ryuk makes me._ “You might notice some fish tanks around, that’s just a hobby of mine. You don’t have to worry about feeding them or anything.”

“You like Nintendo games? Like which ones?” L asked, tilting his head as he glanced over to the entertainment system again. 

“There’s a bunch there that my sister gave me, but my favorites? Oh um...probably Mario Kart. And sometimes Mario Golf and Tennis, I guess. I know those are old ones but still good for blowing off steam.” Light shrugged, it was mostly just whatever Ryuk felt like playing but he didn’t mind it either.

“I always loved Mario Kart, but I wasn’t really allowed to play it a lot,” L laughed, turning his attention back to Light. As they moved through the space, the visual aids or demonstrations Light used helped more than him just reciting the features of the different rooms, and L mainly just nodded along to the rest. _I’m… going to need to ask him to write some of this stuff down for later, or I’ll forget it._

Light continued to point out various amenities like the hall bathroom, how to work the curtain and atmosphere controls, telling him about the gym on the third floor, the cinema on the fifth, and the infinity pool and jacuzzi on the roof. “This would be your room.” He opened the door to what was currently his office, which was more than spacious enough for a bed plus some of the furniture L mentioned. Right now it had an enormous desk and a corner saltwater tank full of jellyfish and anemones, along with a few clownfish. “I can get this tank out of here if it bothers you.” 

The fish tank in what would be his room made L gasp, and he hurried over to peer in intently, watching the jellyfish. “This is so cool,” he breathed. “No no, I like it! How many fish tanks do you have?” He fell quiet, listening intently to the sound of the filter, and the bubbling of the tank. It reminded him of the sound of a small creek during rainfall; he _definitely_ wanted the tank to stay. 

“Four, although I keep buying more.” Light counted them off. “Two in the living room, one in your room, and one in mine. But that one’s...uhh, pretty big.” He opened a door and pointed inside, “There’s a half-bath attached to your room but um, you’re welcome to use mine whenever you want. It has a jetted tub and much nicer shower than this one.” 

Light’s eyes flicked to the mirror where the death note was currently stashed before walking back out. “You already saw the master bathroom. I can ah, show you my bedroom if you want to see it.” 

Light was already walking out, but L lingered for a moment, looking around the room, and visualizing where he could put everything. His attention kept being drawn inexplicably to the mirror, so he moved to stand against the wall across from the mirror, considering it for a long moment before his lips curved up in a slow smile. _Oh fuck. I’m definitely putting my bed right here._ He could already think of some naughty things he wanted to do when he moved in, and being able to watch himself might be… an _interesting_ experiment.

Those filthy thoughts were still running through L’s mind when he belatedly answered Light. “Oh, yes please, I want to see your room!” The eagerness in his voice made him cringe slightly, but not enough to make him regret saying it as he left the room, taking a large swallow of beer and following Light. “So if that’s the smaller bedroom, how much _bigger_ is _your_ room?” _That was a stupid question. Probably would be like someone seeing my toys and asking how much bigger the monster is than my other dildo_ , he thought, snickering into his glass. 

“Alright.” Light grinned at L’s eagerness to see his bedroom, but reminded himself not to read too much into it. _Damn, it’s going to be hard to play it cool when he’s here all the time._ A quirk of the floorplan and the curvature of the building was that one had to walk through the expansive master bath to get to the master bedroom. “I guess you already saw everything in here when you took a shower, but there’s also a fabulous bathtub. Feel free to use it or the shower anytime. You can hook your music device up here to play in this shower or bathtub area too.” There was a little iPhone dock on the counter which Light pointed out.

“You can play music in the bathroom?!” L grinned at that, because he tended to do that in his _own_ apartment as well, he just had to have his phone speaker pointed at the tiny shower. “That is fantastic, I tend to listen to music a _lot_.” _Except when I’m studying, obviously._ “Uhhh, does that mean I get a shelf in here for my stuff? I don’t have quite as much product as you do, heh.” _That’s an understatement, you have, like, one bar of soap left, and combination shampoo and conditioner._

Light eyed L and then the crowded bathroom shelf, “I’m sure I can clear some space.” He opened the door to his room, stepping inside and bringing up the dimmer switch for the built-in lighting to about halfway. It was a large room decorated in a sleek but minimalist modern style, with an entire wall of curved floor-to-ceiling windows and a recessed saltwater tank that ran the length of another wall. The room seemed even larger since he didn’t have a lot of furniture in here past a king-sized iron canopy bed, a black leather lounge chair, nightstands, and a dresser. But as soon as his gaze flicked to L coming in behind him, a thought rushed into his mind of the man tied to his bed, and the look on his face must have been devious for just a brief moment before he schooled it to a neutral one again. He wandered over to the windows, “The view from here is really nice since it’s west-facing. So, I don’t get woken up by the sunrise but the sunset can be really beautiful.” L’s room would have a similar view but was pointed more south. 

The second he stepped into the master bedroom after Light, L stopped in place, mouth falling open in awe. Though he saw that split second devious expression on Light’s face, it didn’t really register completely because his eyes were immediately drawn to the aquarium, and he hurried over to get a better look. “How many different kinds of fish do you _have_ in these tanks, Light? These- this is absolutely _stunning_ ,” he said in a hushed voice, walking the length of the tank before stopping in shock and peering in. “Holy _shit_ , do you have _eels_ in here? Sweet!”

Light joined L at the tank, peering into the coral to spot the eels lazily opening and shutting their mouths as they peeked out from some crevices. “Yeah, that’s Flotsam and Jetsam. I got Jetsam because the woman at the store told me it was a female and I thought maybe she’d mate with Flotsam, buttttt ‘she’ ended up being a ‘he’ so they just hang out and rule the tank together. I can’t keep smaller fish in here or they’ll eat them all.” He chuckled at that, thinking he’d learned it the hard way. 

_Flotsam and Jetsam?!_ L looked at Light sharply, lips pressed together as he tried not to laugh at the explanation. _So that lady misgendered an eel because, what, he’s smaller than a normal male eel? Or she doesn’t know what she’s doing._ “Aw dang, you could have had a whole tank full of eels, but instead you just have your Disney characters.” He grinned, nudging Light with his elbow. “Kidding, I love it.” 

“Hmm, I don’t see Ursula.” Light walked down the length of the tank a few feet, finally spotting the little octopus camouflaged and curled around a rock. As soon as Light got near, she changed to brilliant colors and spots and waggled a few of her arms. Light laughed, pointing her out for L, “She thinks I’m going to feed her. Well, I guess I better.” He opened a small cabinet near the tank which had a mini-fridge inside, taking a live shrimp out of a bucket. In a sing-song voice, “Poor unfortunate soul.” Ursula had already uncoiled from the rock and was making her way to the top of the tank using her suckers on the glass. 

L followed Light when he walked down the tank, gaping. “Holy shit, and an octopus named Ursula too, you are too much!” He really did laugh now, delighted by this little glimpse into who Light really was - a young man who only seemed aloof because people couldn’t see past his perfect exterior, the shiny aesthetic that hid someone who just wanted peace and quiet, and the sometimes silly things that brought him joy. _You are ridiculous and adorable_ , he thought, giggling louder when Light started singing to the octopus. “Was that the one who wanted to be thinner, or the one who wanted to get the girl?” L asked, watching the little cephalopod climb up the glass.

Light was pleased that L seemed entertained by his unusual pets, feeling a little proud of them. “ _This_ shrimp is whoever’s been assaulting women on campuses. Heh. I wish I could find that guy and feed him to Flotsam.” He looked askance to L, giggling, “Only kidding of course.” _Not really, but I better say so_. 

L shot Light a wide eyed look when he said that, and after a moment, he grinned wickedly. “It would certainly be what he deserves,” he agreed quietly. He wasn’t kidding, though he knew that wasn’t exactly… the ‘proper’ mindset for someone who wanted to solve crimes. It was still how he felt, though, even if he wouldn’t admit it out loud.

Light shot L a look, “Watch this.” He opened the top of the tank and held the shrimp just above the water, and it was only a second before a tentacle emerged from the water and snatched it down. Light giggled as he watched her scoot away quickly with her prize, into a little stone castle she preferred to hide and eat in. “The eels can’t get in there, much to their dismay.” He took a couple more of the shrimps and dropped them closer to the eels, who excitedly swam out and started to stalk their prey. Light watched them a moment more, making sure the bigger eel Flotsam didn’t get to eat both the shrimps. “I guess most people would rather have a cat or a dog, but aquariums are ideal for me, for how I live. Fish, eels, octopus….they’re quiet, predictable, beautiful to watch. It calms me.” He snorted when he glanced over at the little castle, which already had half of the shrimp’s shell thrown out of it, “And smarter than you think. Ursula’s quite the escape artist if I don’t keep an eye on her.”

Nodding, L said with a grin, “Yeah, my mother has a cat that she got when I was thirteen. Annoying little thing, whenever I go back to visit, she’s always yowling at me until I pick her up.” He finally turned his attention to the rest of the room, which he had seen, but passed over in favor of the brightly lit tank. His mouth went completely dry when he saw that bed, taking in every detail, from the elegant monochrome color scheme, to the decorative pillows artfully arranged, to what looked like a _very_ sturdy iron canopy that brought another filthy image to mind. Just one. _Ohhhhh geez. Cuff me to that top bar and fuck me silly, PLEASE_. Swallowing hard, L’s gaze slid to the wall, and a tiny little smile began to bloom on his face as he realized that his bed would be on the opposite side of the wall from Light’s. _Oh, I am going to have fun testing out if he likes me like THAT._

“Other than that, it’s not that exciting. Oh! But I do have a huge closet.” Light rushed over to open the enormous closet which was even bigger than the laundry room off the living area. “I’m a big fan of that since ah...I do have a small weakness for fashion.” _Oh shit…_ He blanched a little as he saw some of his more slutty outfits poking out from one corner of the closet, clothes he’d only dared to wear when he’d very rarely snuck off to gay bars anonymously, far outside the student district around To-Oh. Only Mogi knew about _that_ little predilection and Light had sworn him to secrecy, not that he needed to. Mogi knew how to be discreet and was completely non-judgemental since his daughter had recently come out as gay. “Ah hah, yes, well…” He steered L out of the closet before he could get too much of an eyeful, closing the door behind him. It only occurred to him then that L’s room and his would partially share a wall, from where his closet ended. 

As L wandered around the room to examine everything else, he sipped his beer, giggling when Light excitedly rushed to show off his enormous closet. “Damn, you’ve got a _lot_ of clothes!” Something a little flashier than what he’d seen Light wear so far caught his eye, but before L managed to get a good look, Light was steering him out of the room, and he snorted. Clearly, there was something that Light didn’t want him to see. _Fine, keep your secrets, I’ll get them out of you eventually, if you’ll let me._ It wasn’t like L didn’t have his _own_ secrets, things he wasn’t comfortable sharing just yet. Hell, there were things even his fellow students didn’t know about him, things the rumors didn’t even touch on.

Light backed out of his bedroom, closing the door behind them. “I guess that’s the full tour, unless you have any questions about anything.” 

L shook his head. “Nothing that comes to mind. You have an awesome place here, Light.” Draining his glass, L let out a satisfied sigh and grinned, teasing the other man slightly, “I’m… honestly a little at a loss for words. You told me you were _just_ inviting me over for pizza.” Which was probably stone cold by now, and he’d only managed to finish two pieces while he’d been acting neurotic. “Speaking of, I’m still kinda hungry.” _Or maybe hungry again?_ He glanced at his phone briefly and laughed, heading back into the main room to retrieve his plate before heading back to the kitchen. Reheated pizza usually didn’t taste too great, but this stuff was _delicious_ , so maybe it would be better. 

“I promise all I intended to ask you here for was pizza.” Light gave L a sheepish smile, feeling a little called out, like maybe he had been impulsive in that exciting moment. He hadn’t even run the idea by Ryuk, not that the shinigami would mind another ‘interesting’ human to watch. But he _would_ have to be more careful with his Kira activities, although it wasn’t that much of a deviation in his routine; he’d done it with both Misa and Rem when they’d lived here.

The sheepish smile on Light’s face as he explained himself made L snort. “Hey, it’s okay! I’m not complaining in the slightest, and this just means that I don’t have to renew my lease at the end of the month. My landlord has been useless the entire time I’ve been there, anyway, and, well…” 

“Anyway, if you change your mind later, no hard feelings. But...I hope you don’t.” Light could talk to his fish but they didn’t talk back, didn’t recognize or appreciate his presence as anything more than their next meal. He distracted himself with looking over the pizza, testing if it was cold. “Shit, it’s kind of room temperature now. If you wanna stay a little while I could heat it up in the oven, or I could put some in a box to take with you.” As much as he wanted L to stay, if L did intend to move in here, Light wanted him to get to packing right away and just make it official.

“No, I _really_ do want to move in.” _With you._ Pausing, L chuckled softly and moved to lounge against the counter beside Light. It wasn’t overly late for him. “I’m definitely okay with staying a little while longer. I’m hungry _now_ , and no matter when I leave, I’m going to have to wait until morning to email my landlord about this new development, and besides... I promised I would fix _that_ -” He pointed to the La Pavoni with a grin. “- before I left.” He propped his chin in his hands for a moment, thinking. “And if you say to only bring the fragile stuff with me and leave the rest for Mogi, then I’m literally only going to need a half hour at most to pack.” _I could probably do that tonight when I get home, I know I have a box or two somewhere that I can use._

It was reassuring to hear L say that he really _did_ want to move in, but Light had wanted to present the out anyway. He washed his hands after messing with the aquarium, smiling and humming ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ to himself. “Yeah, Mogi’s a pro, I’m telling you. When he’s not driving for me, like during the day when I’m at school, he runs a courier company. He’s got trucks, a team, the whole deal. I’ll send him an email later tonight and he’ll get your things moved over this weekend.” 

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“Damn, that’s a service sorely needed in Tokyo, the roads are far too congested here, I find.” It wasn’t like it had been terribly different in England, from what L vaguely remembered about living there, but that had been nearly fifteen years ago now since his mother had moved them here. “But then, I haven’t lived in England for a long time.” He smiled at that, moving to start disassembling the espresso maker. He was _definitely_ feeling tipsy, which was making him a little more talkative than usual, but he wasn’t so tipsy he couldn’t fix what needed to be fixed. “Would it be cool to do all of the big stuff on Sunday? That’ll give me enough time to get things settled with my landlord and clean and stuff.”

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_Hmm. Definitely need to adjust that handle before descaling the reservoir._ L carefully removed the heating element, pulling open drawers in the kitchen until he found one filled with dishcloths. “Oh, Light, do you have a screwdriver anywhere?” he asked, turning the faucet on and making sure it was warm before completely saturating the dishcloth.

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Light reheated the pizza while L was tinkering with the espresso maker, and it really only needed a little while under the broiler to get piping hot again. He picked up a slice and sat on a barstool at the island, watching L work. “Oh...tools, yeah those are under the sink. They, uh, might be a little dusty.” He usually would just call maintenance when anything needed fixing around here, and not much did since it was a new building.

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Between bites, “So, what’s your plan after you graduate? You said you wanted to be Will Graham but does that mean police investigator, psychologist, sticking around in academia to get another degree?”

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L listened as he washed the heating element thoroughly, rinsing it and returning it to its proper place in the espresso maker, taking that moment to refill the reservoir with water and the descaling solution. “Honestly… I haven’t exactly decided yet.” He squatted down to look under the sink, pulling out the tool kit and setting it on the counter top, reaching for a piece of pizza and taking a large bite as he selected the smallest Phillips head screwdriver bit in the kit.

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As L worked on the adjustment, he chewed and swallowed, remarking quietly, “I mean… I’m not sure I’m interested in a career in academia. But I _do_ want to be able to actually make a difference and _catch_ the bad guys. You know?” He consulted the diagram briefly as he worked, shaking his head; it _still_ wasn’t quite where it was supposed to be. “I think… I definitely want to focus heavily on the psychology aspect, and I’m not particularly interested in being a police officer, but… maybe some kind of investigator. I want to… I want to be able to make my _own_ hours, and take my _own_ cases. Like Deneuve, I _suppose_.” _Only better._

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Light listened with interest as L explained what he planned to do, or what he was at least thinking about doing. He’d finished his second glass of wine and was feeling quite relaxed and happy, which also made him slightly less cautious about what he said. That in turn led him to interject when L mentioned _that_ name. _Oh no, not him again._ “Like Deneuve?” He crinkled up his nose, snorting a laugh in barely concealed derision. “That guy’s a hack. I don’t understand the police and media’s fascination with him, honestly.” 

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He held up his empty wine glass, tilting it this way and that in the light, frowning as he recalled the so-called World Greatest Detective’s hubris, his lame, sad taunts to Kira over the years that had amounted to horseshit. Light had hoped for some kind of challenge, a cat-and-mouse game, something when Deneuve first announced he was on the Kira case. He’d thought, _yes! Finally someone to make this more interesting._ He set his glass on the counter with a sigh. “Didn’t he say he was going to catch Kira in 3 months, tops, over 2 years ago? Pfft. Yeah, some genius. Regular Sherlock Holmes.” The famous detective had made such blustery statements to the press that Light had even had a short moment of real fear that Kira might be caught. It didn’t last long.

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He caught himself going off and quieted, playing it off behind a charming smile for L. “Sorry, it’s just that Professor Aizawa won’t shut up about the guy, assigns all his books in class and they’re all such _dreck_. Not a useful idea among the lot despite being exorbitantly priced and longer and even less fun to read than Ulysses. No wonder he hasn’t caught Kira.” 

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L stayed silent as Light began to deride the so-called World’s Greatest Detective, trying hard to contain his laughter to half-stifled sniggers. _He_ had read those books for his own personal research purposes back in his first year of university, and already knew what a load of dreck they were, but it was fun to hear Light’s commentary. “Oh lord, is he going to make us buy those books for Deterrents, or Global Legal? _Please_ tell me I don’t have to pay actual _money_ for that crap.”

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Light laughed loudly when he saw that L was of the same mind with him on Deneuve, holding out a palm. “See? Ok then, so it’s not just me. And yes, I hate to be the one to tell you but that enormous tome I was grousing about buying today was his latest memoir, ‘How I Whipped Eraldo Coil and Became the Foremost Detective of All Time.’” He giggled harder, even the title was a ridiculous self-congratulatory jerk-off. “It was before our time, but everything I read about Coil was that he actually, you know, solved cases? I guess he wasn’t splashy enough for the media and that’s why Coil went into retirement. But being a professor at Oxford’s not exactly a downgrade either.” _A shame, though. We might have had some fun._

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“‘How I Whipped..’” L gaped at Light, cackling loudly at that grandiose purple prose. “Bitch, bye, what the fuck is that?” He was laughing so hard, he nearly dropped the screwdriver. “That’s worse than a fucking Panic! At the Disco song title!” _And they’ve become FAR less pretentious over the years_ , he thought, starting to get his laughter under control as Light began talking about Coil. Now there had been a detective. “Damn, Coil’s at Oxford? Sweet retirement plan!” His voice was admiring, grinning as he thought of some of the cases he’d read about in his classes. “I knew he had retired, but I didn’t read up on what he did afterward. But I’ve studied quite a few of his cases in my classes - his closure rates were, frankly, inspiring, even if he didn’t really seem to subscribe to the same mindset of getting inside a criminal’s head to catch them.”

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“But anyway, if you’re going to be taking Aizawa’s class next semester, we can just share that nasty book. I don’t want Deneuve to get _your_ money when he already wasted mine, ugh.” Light rolled his eyes, thinking that L probably didn’t even want to know the price of the book. _50,000 yen, what a scam._ “One condition though.” Light’s sour expression turned to one of deviousness, lips curling up into a smirk, “We burn the bitch on the last day of classes.” It was what he’d done with all the rest of Deneuve’s trash books after it had become crystal clear he was no rival for Kira, not even in the same _league_. In fact, Light had yet to come across an actual case where Deneuve had been of any use at _all_ to the police or INTERPOL, not that they seemed to catch on to it. He’d often wondered if the detective was bribing someone or even trumping up cases... _no, even he wouldn’t sink so low._

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Sighing, L nodded. “Yeah, it’s my last semester, and those classes are kinda mandatory for me to finish my degree. I kind of hope Aizawa doesn’t remember me when we get there.” He snickered, cheeks red. “Oh Light, I will absolutely help you burn that book, it’s a deal!”

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Light moved around to the other side of the island when it looked like L was nearly done. He watched the last bits of the reassembly process and tried to remember in case he ever had to do it himself. He mused, “I think you had the right idea before in the cafe. To catch a monster like Kira, you need to get inside his mind, understand how he thinks. Like Will Graham did. Even if it’s fiction, there’s some truth in it too.” Deneuve certainly wasn’t in Kira’s mind, didn’t understand the first thing about him given his statements to the press were always calling Kira an ‘unhinged murderer,’ ‘psychopathic,’ ‘pure evil,’ and so on. He didn’t see the purpose, the goal, the _design_. _My design_. He spoke lower, “I bet you could do it. Show that fraud up and kick him off the throne.” _I already know that the emperor has no clothes, and have been waiting for the world to figure it out._

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Having Light so near him as he finished up was _extra_ distracting right now, especially when Light lowered his voice, speaking complimentary words nearly in his ear. _He really… thinks I could show Deneuve up? Even though he’s only just met me?_ L shivered, letting his breath out slowly as he surreptitiously glanced at Light, half-wishing that the other man would either stop being so _sexy_ , or just kiss him. “Did you read my mind?” he murmured, cheeks flushing pink as he wiped his hands on his shirt. “Because I would love nothing _more_ than to surpass him, honestly.” _But who would take a twenty three year old student seriously as a detective?_

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Light didn’t want too much to slip but it was intoxicating to have someone intelligent to talk to who was interested in the same things he was. “Anyway…” He shifted gears as if they’d only been discussing the nicest coffee blends instead of incompetent shadow detectives that neither of them should really have opinions of. _He might get to wondering why exactly I know he’s a hack._

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L laughed, shrugging self consciously and grateful when it seemed like Light was changing the subject. He looked at the machine again and smiled in satisfaction, setting the screwdriver back in the tool kit and plugging the espresso machine in before going to look for a mug. “I think she’s nearly ready to be cleaned.” Placing the mug under the brewer, he took the steam wand and held it in the cup, pressing the steam button and saying brightly, “Here goes!” 

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Light was suddenly craving a latte, now that the machine seemed to work again. “Oh, good job! I’ll get some demitasse mugs for the espresso. Or were you going to make lattes?”

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_Oh shit._ “Light! Wait,” L said with a laugh, reaching out to grab Light’s wrist for a moment before he could move away to get any mugs. He let go and pointed to the water filling the mug as he continued to hold the steam wand in place. “It’s… going to take an hour for it to actually be ready to _make_ anything. This is just the cleaning process.” 

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Light looked up sharply when he felt L’s fingers close around his wrist, the man’s touch was warm and unexpected, bringing a blush to his cheeks. It took a moment for Light to register what L was saying, but he nodded belatedly. “Oh, uh, of course. Cleaning. No, I’m happy to wait.”

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Pressing his index finger to his lips, L pretended to think and then said hopefully, “I could have another beer, though, if that’s okay. Looks like you’re stuck with me until at _least_ 11:20.” He beamed, hoping that Light wouldn’t actually be irritated with him. “Actually… this cleaning process needs to be done at least once a week with repeated daily use, so it’s a good thing you’ve got me moving in to take care of it, huh?” He nudged Light again with his elbow, smiling. 

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“I certainly don’t feel _stuck_ with you.” Light smiled and turned back to the fridge, pulling out another ice-cold Sapporo and pouring it into L’s cup. “I guess if you’re having another, I’ll have one more glass of wine too.” He gave L a little wink, “Just being a good host and all.” 

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He handed the beer to L and refilled his wine glass, leaning back against the counter as the espresso maker began to steam and drip water. “Damn, you really did it.” He grinned in delight, holding up his wine glass like a toast. “To your excellent foam art and espresso machine tinkering skills.” The glint in his eye hid a slightly darker toast in his mind. _To tying you to my bed and fucking you till you scream. And to hoping that poseur Deneuve grows a pair and shows me his face on television._

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Light’s commentary about being a ‘good host’ made L laugh, and he moved to slump comfortably next to the man, wanting to feel his warmth by his side. “Mmmm… sure, my foam art and magic hands. And to your generosity, and-” _Your gorgeous face._ “- your interesting opinions and insights into things.” L clinked his glass against Light’s, gaze trained steadily on his eyes for a long moment before flickering over his face, taking it all in. “To your sense of humor.” _The way you make me laugh like no-one else has in three years._ “And to your love of The Little Mermaid!” L added with a giggle, nose wrinkling as he drank, feeling warm all over as he stared, thinking, _and here’s to the adorable way you act when you let down your guard a little, and to one day maybe actually getting the chance to be with you the way I WANT to be._ He pulled the glass away with a huff, tugging his phone out and checking the time. “We should go curl up on the couch and just watch something silly. What do you say?”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL, yes, Light is literally only making L pay $46-$50 USD for rent.  
> This is the model of espresso machine Light owns: https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/la-pavoni-reg-lgb-16-grand-belleza-16-cup-home-espresso-cappuccino-machine-in-chrome-copper/5280137


	4. Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> L moves into Light’s apartment but only manages to unpack one box before getting distracted with testing how soundproof his new room is.

It wasn’t until Sunday evening that Mogi’s crew had finished bringing over all of L’s things, and Light was glad for the extra time to get all his own furniture out of his former office and moved into either his bedroom or the storage unit. As soon as L had left on Friday night, slightly tipsy but in a happy mood same as he was, Light had rushed to the mirror in the office and opened the safe, moving the Death Note to a secure location in his bedroom. He’d left the corner aquarium in L’s room as requested, now realizing he’d have to give his new roommate a crash course in feeding the anemones, jellyfish, and clownfish (unless he insisted Light keep doing it). He wasn’t sure how private a person L was, whether the man’s room would be off-limits or what, and didn’t want to presume. Ryuk had barely been phased at all by the news, genuinely curious to have someone else to watch, although he did make the demand that his Hideki Ryuga soaps at least be recorded so he could watch them on repeat when they were asleep, if he got bored.

He’d been in text communication with L and Mogi on moving day, and was in the middle of preparing some shrimp scampi as a welcoming dinner when he heard a knock at the door. “Shit, he’s early.” Light grabbed a towel and wiped his hands off before checking himself in the polished chrome of the sub-zero fridge. _Why am I so nervous? Ugh, I know why._ He’d taken extra care with his appearance again, and it was a little thrilling and fun to have someone to dress up for, to try and impress. He was dressed a little more formally tonight, just because he felt like it, in all-black Versace that made him feel elegant and sexy without screaming _money_. 

True to his word, L had spent the previous day cleaning and purging anything he didn’t need, and that morning had been consumed with boxing up his breakables and his… _private_ collection. It had taken L a frustratingly long time to get a hold of his landlord (and nearly an entire _pack_ of cigarettes over the two days to calm his nerves, which was excessive for him), but once Mogi and his moving team had shown up, and as soon as the lease situation had been taken care of, he’d been supremely _grateful_ for Mogi to whisk him off to Aoyama. He’d even tried to dress a little more nicely today, though he didn’t have much in the way of ‘classy’ clothes, merely settling for a mostly black and silver palette. And a little of his favorite cologne. _Ugh, I hope he likes it… but Light didn’t seem to care about me wearing my boring work clothes Friday night, so he probably won’t care what I’m wearing today, come on._ Still, he was nervous as he stood in front of the door, laughing softly to himself at how obvious he was probably being. “You already live here now, quit being lame,” he muttered to himself, shifting the boxes awkwardly to knock quickly before steadying them again.

Light peeked through the peephole and took a deep breath before swinging the door open with an easy smile. “Welcome to your new home, L. I hope packing and moving wasn’t too tiresome.” He stepped aside and let L come inside, closing the door behind him and taking the top box. As L walked past him, the pleasant smell of vanilla followed in his wake, but Light thought he smelled something else under that. _Cigarette smoke? He’s a smoker?_ As long as L didn’t smoke inside there wasn’t an issue he _supposed_ , but still…

Light’s greeting was… well, L _presumed_ it was welcoming, because he couldn’t really hear anything over the sound of blood rushing in his ears, because Light looked _incredible._ _He’s dressed so formally._ He nodded belatedly, smiling and eyes wide, swallowing hard and acutely aware of the way the choker shifted against his throat when he did so. _Why did I have to wear this choker?_ he thought, slightly annoyed with himself as he followed Light into the room.

Light walked over to place the box on the kitchen table before running back to stir the scampi, which was filling the kitchen with a buttery citrus scent. “Oh, shit, I forgot to ask if you liked shrimp. I hope you’re not allergic to shellfish or something.” He took a sip of his glass of ‘cooking wine’ (i.e., the Chardonnay that didn’t go into the dish), motioning L to put his box down and relax. He was trying not to stare at how hot L looked, but his eyes kept being drawn to the barbed wire silver choker L was wearing. _What kinds of marks would it leave if I yanked that?_ His eyes widened but he looked away, trying to clear those thoughts. _Not. Now._

L giggled as he watched the other man scurry right back into the kitchen. Clearly, whatever he was cooking needed constant attention. _This is why I always eat freaking ramen in a cup._ Breathing deeply brought the smell of citrus to him just as Light spoke again, and L laughed, glad to be able to give an answer this time. “Ugh, no, I _love_ shellfish. That smells delicious, Light. What are you making?” L hesitated slightly to put the box down right away, but did, joining Light in the kitchen. “Damn, it looks good, too.”

“Oh, that’s a relief. I should have asked for your preferences before but slipped my mind today.” _Hmm, I would like to know about your ‘preferences,’ actually._ Light stirred the shrimp and added a little more wine to the pan as he smiled at L, waving some steam out of his face from the vaporizing alcohol. “It’s shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta, and I’ve got some garlic bread in the oven that will be done in 5 minutes or so.” He didn’t mention the homemade berries zabaglione he’d made and was chilling in the fridge, wanting to leave that as a surprise. He’d at least guessed that L like Italian food since he’d raved over the pizza, and wanted to show off his cooking a little. 

“My preference is delicious food,” L said with a laugh, rolling his eyes at himself because it was _obvious_ to him that Light had meant to ask for specifics on the foods he liked. “Seafood is my favourite, and anything sweet.” He leaned in to breathe in the steam deeply, giggling when he could feel his bangs getting damp. _Aaaand that’s enough of that,_ he thought, shrugging sheepishly as he stepped back, one hand coming up to press fingers against his lips and mouth practically _watering_ from that description of dinner. “Damn! You went all out, that sounds wonderful.” _All this for me?_ That thought sent a thrill through him, and he sent Light a wide-eyed look. _Why?_ “Sorry I’m early, I get the feeling you wanted _this-_ ” L gestured to the dish on the stove a little sheepishly. “- to be done before I got here. Things with my landlord actually got sorted a lot quicker than I expected, though it took _forever_ to get a hold of them.”

“Also, house rules, but I _forbid_ instant ramen in this place.” Light gave L a stern look but was clearly teasing, and it felt really nice to cook for someone. Cooking for one was just depressing. 

L’s mouth dropped open with that little tease and he frowned, hands on his hips and blowing his hair from his eyes before saying in a teasingly stern voice, “You know…” He stopped, though, because quite honestly, he wasn’t even the biggest fan of ramen, it was just affordable and easy to make. Laughing again, L waved one hand negligently and said, “I can’t even defend that in jest, you win.”

His gaze traveled slowly over Light again, his smile widening. “You look nice.” _Oh please, he looks sexy as hell, and you want to jump him._ That thought brought a faint flush to his cheeks and L cleared his own throat, looking away. He caught a glimpse of himself in the sub-zero and smiled a little. _Oh. Right. THAT’S why I wore this choker, because it looks good on me._

Light smiled when L complimented how he looked, gazing down at the scampi and trying to focus. “Thank you. You look nice too. I, uh, like your necklace.” People complimented him all the time, he always felt the eyes of others on him, but none of it meant anything but annoyance. It felt different coming from L and he tried to reason with why before coming to the obvious conclusion and stopping short. _I’m developing a crush, but that’s dangerous given who I am. I can’t let people in._ It was too late in some ways. He’d already let L in more than anyone else since he’d come to To-Oh, and that after only knowing the man a couple of days. It was a little scary but mostly just thrilling, novel, new. Light didn’t want to stop. “Was Mogi helpful? All your furniture is in your bedroom if you want to check out where they placed it.”

Light’s mood seemed to lift when L complimented him, even as simple as the compliment was, and he had to let out a slow breath to keep himself on somewhat even ground, face flushing darker when Light complimented him _back. Yeah, that was definitely my goal_ , he thought, unable to stop a huge smile from spreading across his face as he murmured, “Thank you, Light.” He glanced back at Light with a smile and a shrug, leaning back against the island counter now. “Oh… yeah, Mogi was _very_ helpful. I like him.” 

“Mogi’s under the odd impression that a roommate would do me good and keep me from becoming, how did he phrase it...,” Light paused to taste the sauce, grinning around the spoon, “...a bitter old hermit locked away in my castle.” He shot L a look, rolling his eyes as his driver’s dramatics. But there was some truth in it. On his darker, more pessimistic days Light did wonder if he’d probably grow old unknown and unloved, with nothing but his dream of Kira to keep him warm at night. That and the callous laughter of his shinigami, or the gaping mouths of whatever generations of eels followed Flotsam and Jetsam. 

It was a bit of a challenge for L to stop himself from bursting out laughing at Mogi’s apparent turn of phrase. “Damn, he was literally _one word away_ from calling you Sebastian, shoulda called you a hermit _crab_ ,” L remarked, rolling his neck a little to try and work out the kinks before smirking up at Light. “I might need to get to know him better, he seems really funny.” He tilted his head curiously, chewing at his lip thoughtfully, but in the end, he just smiled at Light again.

L said brightly, “You know, I think I’m going to put those boxes in my room and check out where all my furniture went after all.” _And maybe splash some cold water on my face._

“Yeah, go ahead and check out your room. It’ll be a few more minutes before dinner is ready, but not _too_ long.” Light turned to check the pasta, testing if it was al dente yet. “Maybe five minutes. We can sit at the dining room table and eat like civilized hermits.”

L pushed himself up and away from the island, taking Light’s words as carte blanche to do what he needed to do, picking up both boxes and carrying them carefully into his bedroom. Stopping, he looked around, quickly taking stock of where everything was. His bed was set up against the long wall, though not _quite_ as centered across from the mirror as he had hoped for. That would be an easy fix later. His dresser was currently sitting beside the bed and would _definitely_ have to be moved, and his bookshelf had been assembled opposite the bedroom door (which was the perfect spot for it, as far as he was concerned). His bedside table had also been brought in and set up, thankfully, because he was going to _need_ to store his toys before he… settled _down_ for the night. _Hmm._

Setting the boxes down on the bed, L opened the top one up, taking out the vinyl banner that had been loosely folded on top of everything and smoothing it out before draping it over his arm and leaving the bedroom, closing the door behind him. “Hey Light,” he said, grinning widely, holding the banner of David Bowie as the Goblin King sitting on his throne up in front of him and holding it open as much as he could. “Check _this_ shit out!” 

Light had gotten the garlic bread out of the oven and the table set by the time L was done putting away his boxes, and when he turned around as the man called his name, he just gaped. “Oh, I love Labyrinth!” He set the garlic bread down on the table, tossing the oven mitt up on the counter as he came over to get a better look. “Wow, that’s really cool, where did you get it?” He grabbed one end, helping L extend it out so he could see the whole thing. “Jareth was my favorite, but I guess he was everyone’s favorite, huh?” As a kid seeing reruns of the movie, he’d just been captivated by the fantasy monsters and songs. But he had found a lot more depth to it as he got older, seeing Jareth as a more tragic figure than he had in the beginning, one who devised exquisite puzzles for a love who never appreciated them, didn’t want the challenge, and didn’t want him. _Stop being sentimental about an old puppet movie._

“Oh, Labyrinth is one of my _absolute_ favorite movies,” L said, beaming at Light when he came over to help. Gazing down at the picture on the heavy vinyl, he chuckled and admitted, “I, uh… I may have bought it at that convention that came to Tokyo last year. There was a booth in the artist section that was selling a bunch of banners like this one, for different movies or TV shows, some even bigger than _this_ one.” His face flushed, because not _only_ had it been an impulse purchase, but it had _also_ been ridiculously expensive, and he had barely been able to afford his rent AND food AND all of his bills for nearly two months afterward, but… “I literally lived off of ramen and day-olds from my fast food job at the time for two months, but _fuck_ , it was _so_ worth it. I’m going to decide where in my room to put it tomorrow.” He peeked up at Light, then around the room at the walls, wondering if it was the kind of thing Light might want to display in the main room instead… but he would let Light suggest that if it was something that interested him.

Light bit his lip when L mentioned what a sacrifice it had been for him to purchase the banner, remembering how he’d lived in his first year as a broke student too. “Well..” He looked around, thinking it would be a shame not to nicely display something that clearly meant a lot to L. “We can’t put it on the long wall because of the windows, but we could hang it above the top cabinets in the kitchen if you want to.” There was just an empty wall space up there and even if it didn’t go with his decor at all, it would be a nice change-up. “I want you to feel like you live here too.” Although it was just going to make him want to watch that movie for the thousandth time.

“Really?!” L grinned and said in a teasing voice, “But it doesn’t match anything.” The offer still made him feel good, and he glanced aside at the table longingly as he held up a hand and added hastily, “Just kidding! Thanks Light. I’d love to put it up later.”

“Hey, dinner’s ready if you’re hungry.” Light helped L fold the banner back up, grabbing a bottle of sweetish Chardonnay and a carafe of water as he motioned L to the table. “I don’t really cook like this every night, but I enjoy it when I get a chance to.” _Which isn’t very often._ He served L’s plate first-- pasta, shrimp, and then sauce--placing it across the way from where he was sitting, then served himself. He sat down and poured them both some wine, feeling pleased that it had all come together and that L was actually _here_.

Glancing down, L smiled as Light helped him fold it back up, depositing it beside his chair before sliding into his seat. “Am I _ever_ hungry.” The plate Light set down in front of him was presented so nicely, he almost didn’t want to eat it. _Almost._ His mouth was watering, and L almost forgot his manners and dug right in, but managed to hold off until Light had served himself, foot bouncing impatiently. 

“Did everything look ok in your room? I can help you move things around later if you need help.” Light waited until L took a bite before eating some himself, watching the man’s reaction carefully. “I left the tank in there but I can still take care of it if you don’t want the bother. Or, I could show you how to feed the fish later, if you’re interested.”

L grinned, and took an eager bite, a low, ‘mmm!’ leaving him as he chewed, eyes fluttering shut. He was well aware that Light had asked him a question, but the food was delicious enough that he needed to take another, larger bite before sighing out in satisfaction. Swallowing, he said, “This… is _amazing._ ” 

Light smiled down at his pasta when L complimented his cooking, twirling his fork in it idly. “I’m glad you like it. Try some garlic bread. We make it a little different in Japan because the garlic isn’t really the same, but it's still pretty good.” He pushed the basket of bread closer to L and took some for himself to nibble at.

L paused with his fork halfway to his mouth and then set it down, watching Light’s reactions closely. Surely Light _knew_ he was a good cook, right? _Maybe he likes hearing it anyway, like me and anything to do with my coffee skills,_ he thought, popping a forkful in his mouth and paying careful attention to Light as he talked. He snagged a piece of garlic bread, setting it on his plate before taking a drink of wine, eyebrows arching up in surprise at the enjoyably sweet taste. Finally, he said, “By the way, my room set up is mostly fine. I’m going to move my bed _slightly_ , but that’s honestly just for a personal… ahh, preference. And I’m not sure yet where I want to put my dresser, but I’ll figure _that_ out tonight.” _Well… might have to be Tuesday night._

Taking another bite, L just arched an eyebrow at Light and swallowed before saying in a somewhat shy voice, “And… uh, I have no problem taking care of the fish in that aquarium, but I… well, I’d need you to write out the instructions for me. If you just… _tell_ me, I’m going to forget.” His gaze lowered in embarrassment, lips twisting slightly. “Actually, same goes for half of the stuff you told me Friday night. I can remember some of it, anything where you gave me a visual demonstration, or I could _see_ what you were talking about, but the rest…” L shrugged, face flushing. “I’ve… already forgotten all of it, honestly. Sorry.” _And this is why people think I’m stupid_ , he thought glumly, taking another drink of wine to try and calm his nerves. _Stupid learning disability._ “If that’s a problem, I don’t have any issue with you coming in to take care of them, either, though. Honestly… whatever is easier for you.” 

Light listened quietly as L described his issues with remembering auditory information, nodding in understanding. He’d noticed a few tip-offs from their prior interactions but hadn’t been sure. Softly, “That’s no problem at all, I’m happy to write out the instructions for you, or for anything else about the building. There’s some brochures and a map of the amenities in the lobby too if you wanted to pick those up.” He took a sip of wine, considering the best option for the care of the fish in L’s room. _And it would be kind of nice to have an excuse to go in there sometimes._ “Maybe I’ll leave the daily feeding and filter check to you, and I’ll take care of the more delicate stuff like treating the water and when the tank volume needs replacing. If you don’t mind me popping in from time to time.”

If L could have responded to Light’s suggestion of a compromise without getting a little over-emotional-- because people didn’t normally _care_ about accommodating his _issues_ and needs unless it was their job to care-- he would have, instead shoving another forkful of pasta in his mouth, a happy smile on his flushed face. He nodded, swallowing his mouthful before saying, “No, that sounds perfect! I don’t mind - just, uhh, as long as you knock first, if I’m in there.” _Pfft, so I can ignore it and let him find me half-clothed or something,_ he thought, biting his lip to stifle a giggle.

“I take it you’re not from Japan given your accent.” Light grinned, backpedaling a little. “Don’t get me wrong, your Japanese is nearly flawless. I just detect a hint of something else under it.” _Plus, anyone can see you’re not completely ethnically Japanese._ L’s social manners weren’t Japanese either, he’d noticed that in their very first interaction. In a way he was jealous, the pressure to conform here could be crippling sometimes and it would be nice not to care. 

L responded wryly, “Good catch, though I don’t really _look_ Japanese, either.” Once upon a time, that had been a sore spot for L, especially after moving here, but now… He shrugged. It wasn’t really any big secret.

“Do your parents live nearby?” Light had refrained from asking too many personal questions until now but curiosity was getting the better of him, and he did want to know if L would be expecting family over. 

“To answer your first question… yeah, my family lived in England for my dad’s job until I was 9. Some kind of professor, though I can’t remember what he taught. My mom worked from home. And after dad got sick…” L hesitated for a long moment before amending softly, “When he died, I mean. Mom moved back here with me to be closer to her family. So… that’s all.”

Light sobered slightly at the mention that L had lost his father. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He didn’t pry further in case it was a sore spot, since he didn’t know the man well. 

L took a bite of the garlic bread, and smiled down at it as he chewed. _It’s different than the way my mom makes it, but it’s really good._ He swallowed and laughed quietly. “It’s… it’s okay. Happened fifteen years ago, so… My mother lives close to my aunt and uncle in Meguro, so actually not _that_ far from here. I haven’t spoken to her for a while, though, just because I’ve been busy. I should probably tell her I moved, she’ll be happy to hear I got a bigger place.”

They chatted over the rest of the dinner, and Light was gratified that L raved over his surprise dessert as well. If L kept praising his cooking, he thought he might be inclined to do it more often. _I really do enjoy it but it was silly cooking for one._ Usually, he’d just order takeout or whip up something quick and healthy. They finished off the bottle of wine as they put the dishes into the dishwasher, and when everything was cleaned up, Light made his apologies and headed to bed due to his very early class in the morning with Professor Aizawa. “I don’t know why he insists that class _starts_ at 7 am, but if I look even the slightest bit sleepy he calls on me to do busy work.” He paused for a moment, his eyes traveling down L’s body and lingering momentarily on what seemed to be a... _maybe I’m just imagining things, those jeans are pretty tight._

“Oh yaaaay, is that what I have to look forward to?” L asked with a laugh, peering at Light as he leaned against the doorframe. “Kidding!” 

Light walked to his bedroom room, hand hovering on the knob as he turned to smile at L.“I’m glad you’re here. Goodnight.” 

L’s expression softened, that smile sending tingles through him and making his heart pound, and he nodded in a slight daze. “I’m glad, too!” he called after Light, saying a soft, ‘Night’, as Light closed the door.

Light hurried inside after that, quickly shucking off his clothes and falling into bed naked, surrounded by lots of silky pillows as he fell asleep almost right away.

Turning around, L went back to his own room, turning the light up and making a slightly wobbly beeline right for the bed, and those boxes. The one that he’d pulled the banner from went on the floor, because the only other things inside were his small collection of nerdy coffee mugs and the two shadow boxes he had. The other, smaller one was of _much_ more interest right now, and he pulled it close, pulling the glass votive holders out and setting them aside, as well as a few gothic-looking decorative pieces, before he got to what he was _really_ looking for. He didn’t really have much in the way of _toys_ , and he hadn’t been to afford _some_ of the things he wanted, but what he had was… _well._

A grin spread across L’s face as he lifted the metal cuffs out of the box, leaning over and opening the drawer on his bedside table, stashing them farthest from the bed. _Those will be for later,_ he thought, giggling as he remembered that iron frame, a twist of pure _want_ going through him. _Fuck. Focus._ His most recent purchase had been a chrome, vibrating butt plug, and he placed it beside the cuffs, grinning as he realized that it actually fit a lot of the decor of the place. _Juuuuuust a little more X-rated than the rest, is all._ He giggled loudly at the thought of ‘accidentally’ leaving it out for Light to find, clapping a hand over his mouth and looking to the wall, listening carefully to make sure he hadn’t woken the other man up. He wasn’t sure how thin the walls were in this apartment. “How drunk am I?” L whispered, still giggling as he shifted. His jeans were the tightest ones he owned, though usually still comfortable, but they had been growing steadily tighter as L drank more through dinner, constantly distracted from their conversation by how sweet and _sexy_ Light was, and now? _Now_ he was alone in his new room, tipsy and horny, and there was _no_ reason for him to deny himself any longer.

Biting his lip, L shrugged out of the button up, tossing it on the floor before tugging his last two ‘toys’ and the bottle of lubrication out of the box and shoving the other knick-knacks back in haphazardly. “Which one?” he mused with a giggle, setting the box down on the floor beside the other one and pulling his t-shirt off over his head, settling back against his pillows with a sigh as he trailed fingers down his chest to trace idle patterns on his stomach. An image of Light in that all-black outfit came to mind, cool and collected with the hint of a smirk on his beautiful face, and L had to bite his lip, eyes fluttering shut. Another image joined the first one, Light’s face from Friday night, lit up with bursts of multicolored light, _something_ burning in his eyes that had nothing to do with the fireworks, and he shifted his hips, breathing heavily now as his hand trailed down to pop the button on his fly, remembering the way it had felt to touch Light for the first time. That electric thrill he’d felt as he stroked his fingers across the warm, soft skin of Light’s hand returned full force as he tugged the zipper down, shimmying quickly out of his jeans until he was naked. And really, what had he been _thinking_ would happen, going commando when they _both_ had classes in the morning? “ _Maybe_ I might have gotten lucky,” he whispered to himself, licking his lips and stroking a teasing finger down his erection, cock twitching as he wrapped his fingers around himself and stroked, laughing again and remembering that look of embarrassment on Light’s face as he made that little faucet demonstration. _God, he’s so hot._

But really, teasing was _not_ what L wanted right now, cock throbbing as an image flashed through his mind of Light fucking him in the shower, a fantasy he’d most _definitely_ jerked off to almost as soon as he’d gotten back to his old apartment. A strangled moan left him, toes curling in the mattress as he jacked himself slowly, another image going through his mind of Light bending him over the table they had just had dinner on, sweeping the dishes aside and grabbing his necklace and just going to _town_. And yet _another_ image, of Light pressing him against the window, hands in his hair as he fucked L’s mouth, and _that_ image pulled a sharp whine from L as he reached for the lube, slicking up his fingers and pressing one inside with no preamble as he went back to jacking himself with his other hand. “Oh _fuck_ ,” he moaned, eyes squeezing shut and wiggling. He was already comfortably relaxed from the booze, and with a breathy giggle, he immediately pressed a second finger in, beginning a comfortable rhythm in and out to open himself up for… _Oh god, I bet Light is almost as big as the monster,_ L thought, crying out a little louder than he meant to as his fingers pressed into his prostate. 

\---

Light had been asleep, but not so deeply that he wasn’t brought back to drowsy awareness when he thought he heard a loud voice. _Hmm? Was I just dreaming?_ He blinked a few times in the darkness, looking around for Ryuk or listening for the telltale sappy music from one of the shinigami’s soaps. He sighed as he remembered that he hadn’t mentioned to Ryuk not to play it quite so loudly in the night, now that L was here. But he didn’t hear the music, didn’t hear anything at all, and had just closed his eyes to drift back to sleep, figuring it was nothing after all, when what was _unmistakably_ a moan come through the wall. Light’s eyes shot open and he went rigid in the pillows, gripping them tightly as he listened intently. _Holy shit, was that L?! What’s he doing in there?_ They shared a wall between their bedrooms but Light hadn’t thought it would be an issue since the concrete walls were pretty thick in this skyscraper. Which meant that not only was L moaning just a few feet away, he was being _very_ loud.

_Oh god, is he really jerking off? Maybe he just stubbed his toe moving the furniture._ Light sucked in a breath when he heard _another_ loud whine through the wall and there was no ambiguity now about what L was _doing_. There was only _one_ reason to make those kinds of obscene noises. Light could already feel the blood rushing south as he was simultaneously mortified and incredibly aroused, hyper-aware of the silk sheets sliding across his naked body as he turned over. He slowly, silently sat up in bed, staring at the wall between the two of them and hoping like hell that L would do it _again_. _Come on, come on._ Light had to clap a hand over his own mouth when he heard a broken moan of _‘Oh fuck…,’_ making a small noise in the back of his throat as he visualized what L might be doing. _Damn, I wish I could see, or had no ethics and put a camera in there or something._ That evil thought made him giggle, and he quietly crept out of bed and tiptoed towards the shared part of the wall, placing his ear flat against it and hearing more muffled noises. _He must know he’s being loud, maybe trying to stifle himself._ But Light wondered if L could keep it up when he got _closer_ , and was going to find out. 

He leaned back up and turned his back to the wall, sliding down it to sit comfortably on the floor as the anticipation and intrigue built inside him. _There’s no way I can’t get off too. Well, he’ll never know and I’ll pretend like I didn’t hear anything._ Light spit in his hand and started to tease himself, grinning as he leaned his head back against the wall, visualizing what L looked like naked, what his cock looked like and how it looked with those long, elegant fingers sliding up and down. _Hm, wonder if those fingers are somewhere else too._ His breathing sped just at the thought of that, and while he didn’t even know if L was into guys or not, it was _his_ fantasy, dammit.

\----

_Ugh, I am going to be SO loud when I come_ , L thought in a daze, giggling as he pressed his fingers together and massaged his insides. It felt _good_ , and he tried to hold off a little, keep himself from coming too soon. _Not before the real show_. When it began to feel comfortable, L took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he added a third finger, twisting them inside of himself and welcoming the pleasant stretch. He stroked his thumb against his perineum with a low moan as he worked, glancing beside him with heavy-lidded eyes to the… rather _large_ dildo he wanted to use tonight. It was almost always a _process_ when he used it, but the orgasms were always so much more _intense_ than with the smaller one, and he _liked_ that feeling of being _so_ full. Sometimes he deliberately didn’t take enough time to prepare himself, and while he tended to be sore the next day, it was _so_ worth it. L cried out when his fingers pushed into his prostate again, twisting his hand on his cock to draw the pleasure out a little more. “Oh _shit!_ ” _I’m as ready as I’m fucking GOING to be, dammit!_

Reluctantly, L pulled his fingers out, panting harshly in anticipation as he reached for the dildo he had affectionately dubbed ‘the monster’, slicking it up _liberally_ with lube before wiggling into a more comfortable position and pressing the head of the toy to his entrance with a low giggle. _I’m going to be feeling THIS in the morning_ , he thought, giggling a little louder only for his giggle to segue into a drawn out, nearly agonized moan as he began to push it inside. The stretch _burned_ slightly, but it felt so _incredible_ that L didn’t even care. Sure, he had to go slow and let himself adjust, broken moans and expletives escaping him the entire time, but by the time the toy was in as far as it would go, L had to laugh again, low and throaty. “ _Oh_ yeah,” he purred, gripping the base with one hand and rotating his hips, which had the arousing effect of pulling it out slightly and pressing the head _right_ up against his prostate, over and over again. L did it again, panted ‘ahh- _aahhhhh_!’s of pleasure leaving him at the stimulation. “ _Fuck_ ,” he cried, pressing his fingers to his mouth now to try and keep himself somewhat quiet. His eyes were fluttering between closed and slitted open as he visualized Light’s face above his, imagined it was _his_ cock inside of him, and when he pulled the toy partially out and plunged it right back in _hard,_ his body jerked, nearly biting his fingers as he let out what merely sounded like a muffled, “ _Mmmmpfh!_ ”

\----

Light was panting hard, his back against the wall and his legs parted, as he listened to the increasingly desperate--- and _fucking hot as hell_ \--- noises coming through the wall. He’d never been in such close proximity to another man getting himself off, although of course he’d fantasized about it plenty, and a private war was waging inside him between what he thought he _should_ be attracted to and what he _definitely was_. But right now he wasn’t thinking about that, although he knew he’d feel the brunt of the shame tomorrow. Right now, he was thinking about that choke chain that L had worn on Friday night, thinking about the look on L’s face if he just barged into his room and covered his mouth, climbed on top of him and pinned him down. 

He brought a fist to his mouth, muffling his voice as his other hand slid faster, tighter, thumbing over the head and twisting. His back arched against the wall as he heard another moan from the next room, the full-body shudder pushing his hips into his hand and he had to grip _tight_ to keep from coming right then. _Oh fuck, would he be this loud in bed? Would he moan as loud for me?_ He took a deep breath to calm himself from the edge, letting it out slowly as both hands went to his erection. Light barely had to slick himself with spit there was so much precome, and he was glad he was on the floor instead of staining his sheets. He spread it around the head and fisted down his length, biting his lip harshly to hold back the moan dying to get out. 

Suddenly L’s cries rose in pitch and volume, and Light sat up on his knees and turned around to face the wall, leaning against it with one hand while the other was working his cock furiously. It felt _amazing_ , especially given all the sexual tension he’d been feeling around L, but all he could think about was what it would be like to be inside L, pounding him into carpet, yanking that choke chain and sending him to class tomorrow with a ring of bruises around his neck. _“Oh fuuuuuck…_ ” He whispered it into the wall, head tilted back and eyes closed, the hand on the wall tightening into a fist as he got closer. He wanted to come when L did but he wouldn’t be able to hold back much longer, he was already nearly shaking with the effort, and the nails digging into his palm would probably leave marks tomorrow.

\----

L was already close to _losing_ it, he could feel it. He had to _touch_ , even if it wasn’t _Light_ he was touching, and angled the toy so there was a constant, rhythmic pressure against his prostate as he continued to plunge the monster in and out of his body. Pulling his hand away from his mouth, his spit-slick fingers trailing across his skin became Light’s hands in his mind, toying with his nipples and pinching, scraping nails down his abdomen in streaks of fire and pulling desperate sounds from him when he took himself in hand again. Squeezing himself, L writhed in pleasure, mouth wide open in ecstasy now as he moaned, “Yeeeeessss!” 

The fact that it was _so_ intense, so _fast_ , was not lost on L as he dug his toes into the mattress, hips pistoning to meet the toy he was fucking himself with, and thumbing over the head of his throbbing cock, pulling a sharp whine from him. He let his cock drop to his stomach now, bringing his fingers back up to press them into his mouth, sucking every bit of precome off of them as he heard Light’s voice swimming around and around in his mind. It was low, it was dirty, and the thought of Light actually _telling_ him to, “ _Suck them, WHORE, show me how you’ll suck my cock_ -” made him moan loudly around his fingers, cock jerking untouched on his stomach. _Fuck, I want him to do that so bad_ , L thought in a daze, sucking furiously on his fingers and making lewd sounds as he imagined Light’s fingers in his hair, pressing him into the mattress by his neck, digging into his side. What finally pushed him over the edge was imagining Light barging in here and taking him from behind, pushing his head down into the mattress and whispering hotly in his ear to, “ _Cum, BITCH._ ” His moans were loud and largely incoherent around his fingers as he felt hot cum splattering against his stomach, pooling in his bellybutton, and he clenched weakly around the toy as he shuddered through his orgasm. Once he felt semi-coherent, L was grateful that it wasn’t obvious that he’d been trying to scream Light’s name.

\----

Light could barely believe what he was hearing, the noises coming through the wall were so pornographic he almost wondered if L was watching a dirty movie in there. But no, he _knew_ it was L’s voice, and he grinned as he throbbed in his hand thinking, _come for me, let me know that you’ve come_. It was so hot having only the wall separating them, a matter of only a few feet, and he ached with the wish for it to just vaporize so he could see what was happening in there. Light was rooted to the spot though, lost in his pleasure and fantasies of L riding him or taking his cock so deep he choked, of calling out Light’s name and making a mess all over his polished marble floors. _Of making him lick it up and thank me for the privilege._ He wanted to be rough with the man, didn’t care if those feelings were _normal_ or _acceptable_ , no one could tell him he shouldn’t think about something as long as he could control his actions.

He was whimpering softly under his breath by the time it was clear L was close, the tension in his own body becoming unbearable as he writhed against the wall, forehead pressed against it. _Fuck I need to come...just COME..._ And as if L had heard his thoughts after all, Light heard an incoherent scream of pleasure and he gasped as the shockwaves of his orgasm shuddered through his body. He kept stroking until it was too much, spurt after spurt hitting the wall between them, and he finally slumped back on his knees in a daze. His chest was rising and falling, heart hammering in his chest, but he couldn’t move for a good five minutes. Light eventually raised his head to look at the wall in front of him, streaks of cum dripping down it to pool on the floor, and mumbled a swear as he got up with a deep breath. _Shit, that really happened._

Light was slightly nervous to go into his bathroom but his hand was covered in cum and he felt sweaty and sticky all over. _I won’t be able to sleep like this, but if I get in the shower, he’ll know I was awake. Plus...what if HE decides to shower in there, oh shit!_ He equivocated only for a moment before picking up his discarded briefs and wiping his hand and then the wall, giggling at the _amount_ and how huge of a mess he’d made. It felt like such a dirty little secret that L could never know about, and he wondered how he was going to keep from blushing when he saw L tomorrow. He was too tired to worry about that tonight and Aizawa’s class was still impending, so sticky or not, he climbed back into bed and slowly drifted back to sleep with a happy smile on his face. _Wow, getting a roommate was an awesome idea._

\---

_I am so screwed, aren’t I?_ L shook his head with a soft laugh once his heart rate had somewhat returned to normal, pulling the toy out carefully and looking down at himself. “Damn,” he whispered, dipping his fingers into the mess on his stomach and smearing it around with a giggle. “That was a lot.” Really, L couldn’t be mad though. A little embarrassed? Perhaps (but not much). A little paranoid that he might have woken Light up? Now that his… _appetite_ had been sated, _definitely_. It was just dawning on him just _how_ loud he had been. Regretful? Definitely _not_. _Not when I came so fucking hard._ L finally stood up on wobbly legs and made his way to his bathroom with the monster in hand, rummaging for a wash cloth and running the hot water to take care of his _state_.

As L was cleaning up, he couldn’t help but sing “Edge Of Glory” softly under his breath, having heard it just the week before at the club. He was smiling so hard right now that he just _knew_ tomorrow was going to be a good day. _Even I have to work the closing shift. Fuck, I might have to pick up more smokes._ Going through the rest of his nighttime routine seemed to fly by tonight, and even though he knew he had a _lot_ to do tomorrow, when L climbed underneath the covers and snuggled down into the pillows, he felt content in a way he couldn’t remember ever really feeling before, drifting off with a happy sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song L is humming, “The Edge of Glory” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeWBS0JBNzQ


	5. Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first week of L and Light’s cohabitation is nearly over, and Light is at his breaking point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The latter half of this chapter contains an encounter of dubious (at first) consent.

It had been nearly a week since L moved in and Light was in Hell. Not literally, in fact he really enjoyed the man’s company and having a roommate overall. But each night after they said goodnight, Light felt like he was being slowly tortured to death hearing L’s moans and whines through the wall and unable to do anything about it but get himself off with his hand. The first couple of nights had been thrilling, he could barely believe his luck finding such a freaky, friendly, intelligent roommate. But then there was all the veiled flirting, the ‘accidental’ touches, the double entendres and slightly racy idioms that kept happening and plaguing Light’s mind. He felt like he was walking around his own apartment with a constant boner he had to hide, navigating a minefield of hormones every time L gave him _that look_ while licking some ice cream off his spoon or toying with the chain around his neck. 

He’d taken to jerking off the oddest of places--the tennis team’s locker room at To-Oh, dressing rooms when he was shopping, public restrooms just about anywhere---just so he wouldn’t be _as_ horny when he came home and was bombarded with thoughts about L. It made him feel dirty and desperate, and by the time Friday rolled around, it was starting to make him _angry_ and dangerously on edge. Jacking off wasn’t cutting it and he was even having somewhat disturbing thoughts about going into L’s room at night and just _taking_ him. Not that he’d really do that, he had too much self control for that. _Right?_ But his limits were being severely tried, especially since he thought that L was getting a bizarre kick out of it. _Is he just toying with me because he can tell it gets to me?_ He seethed at that thought, thinking that it must be a fun joke to play on Light given that it was usually everyone _else_ that openly thirsted for _him_. He was at a loss of what to do. Light had never been in this situation before and as much as he loved having L around, wondered if he’d made a mistake letting him move in. 

On top of all of that, he’d taken to drinking more to try and numb all the confusing emotions he was feeling. Not just about L, but what it meant to be so attracted to L, to a man. Even when he went anonymously to gay bars or watched gay porn, somehow he was able to lie to himself that it was just a phase, that he was just curious. _Right?!_ But the intensity of these emotions overwhelmed the self-lie, making him continually confront his duplicity. Which hurt, honestly, since it made him feel like a fraud. He just didn’t know how to confront the truth, and the truth was walking around his apartment like a constant temptation.

The only thing that helped was writing in the Death Note, and _damn_ had Kira been productive over the past week. Light had thrown his whole being into absolutely scouring the internet for criminals in need of Kira’s justice, concentrating all his frustration on innovating how to get new names and faces from all over the world. He was hacking into the deep net every night, setting up backdoors into police databases and governmental lists, and Ryuk had been having the time of his immortal life between watching that...and watching Light slowly unraveling because of L, but unable to make him leave. 

So come Friday night, he was scribbling in the Death Note, drinking an entire bottle of wine by himself by the window and occasionally watching Ryuk flying outside among the skyscrapers. L had mentioned he’d be working late tonight and tomorrow, which was just fine since he’d been avoiding the man, to be honest. At least this gave Light a reason for his sudden anti-socialness. _Still…_ He sighed and tossed the pen aside, leaning back in his chair as Ryuk dipped behind a tower then phased inside it to play who knows what pranks. 

Light thought back to when L had first moved in and how those early days had been so charming. _Before I figured out that the bigger freak between the two of us is me._ He wished he could go back to just enjoying the man’s company but it was impossible given his desires. _And I’m still not completely sure he even likes me like that anyway. I’d just make a fool of myself._ Light gripped his pen in frustration and started to write again, jaw set and scribbling with fervor.

\----

“What a _shitty_ fucking day,” L muttered under his breath as he walked in the door, huffing out a tired breath. It had been the literal last day of classes for most of the students at To-Oh, and knowing that, Watari had called in all of his available employees… and it _still_ hadn’t been enough. Since L had walked in the door, they had been bombarded almost constantly by students looking to get their caffeine fixes before or after classes, and to top it all off, Matsuda had made no less than _three_ huge messes that L then had to clean up. He hadn’t even been able to get a smoke until after work, and for once, he’d just left Aiko to close up, if _only_ so he could calm down before going home. By the time Mogi had arrived to pick him up, he’d gone through _three_ cigarettes in a row. At this point, he honestly wanted nothing more than to either fall into bed with his disgusting work clothes on and fall asleep right there, or lounge in front of the TV and eat ice cream and rewatch old episodes of Drag Race, Lucifer, or something equally entertaining and silly. _Preferably with Light, except I’ve barely seen him the last two days_ , he thought glumly, slumping towards his bedroom and dropping his backpack inside the door. There was a moment’s hesitation before L came in to retrieve one of his toys. _Eh, let’s go with the regular one today, I don’t want to risk chromey in the tub_.

L stepped into the bathroom, shooting an expressionless gaze at Light’s bedroom door for a moment before sighing. Normally, he would be calling to Light to let him know he was home, as he had done every night this week, but as things stood… _I wish I knew what I did wrong,_ he thought glumly, setting his phone up in the dock and starting one of his more moody playlists before setting the dildo on the ledge beside it. He wasn’t even sure he would feel _up_ to doing anything with it, even for stress relief, but… he would rather have it just in case. L tugged his shirt off over his head as he went to start the water, pouring some bath salts into the water when it was warm enough and wandering back into the main room to kick his jeans off, splashing his face with cold water. “I _really_ hope tomorrow isn’t as crazy,” he murmured, sighing. He already regretted having signed up to work a Saturday shift after the shit show today had been.

\---

Light had some music on in the background so hadn’t heard L come home or the bathwater running, plus he was slightly tipsy and focused solely on the task in front of him. _Must have set a personal record tonight!_ That made him smile for the first time all day. He’d been in an especially bad mood since Aizawa had made him stay after class _again_ , this time to proofread the outline for the man’s latest book chapter. Light had no doubt that the professor was using him, and that he would get away with it too. It made his blood boil but there was nothing he could do about it, no one who really _cared_. If anything, the other professors thought it was an honor to help! _Bah. He just wants my ideas, since he’s even stupider than Deneuve._ The book was sure to be as bad as those, too. Light did the bare minimum proofreading as requested, but he’d be damned before he gave Aizawa any real insight. 

He reached a hand out for his glass of wine, but wasn’t paying attention and knocked the half-full glass straight into his lap. “Shit!” He huffed and stood up abruptly, glowering down at the red stains across the legs of his pajama pants, the wine soaking in and making him immediately sticky. Nothing got on the Death Note, thankfully, but the damp garments would have to come off and he’d need to wash up now. “Perfect.” He yanked off his shirt and pants and threw them into the hamper, muttering, “Just perfect. _Perfect_ fucking day.” He was a little chilled in nothing but his usual tight black briefs as he stomped across the room in a huff, figuring he might as well just jump into the shower since…

_Whoa!_ Light had swung open his bathroom door without thinking to knock or check if L was in there and… _FUCK!_

L was just turning the water off at the sink when he heard the door open behind him, and his wide eyed gaze immediately snapped up to meet Light’s in the mirror before he froze. _Oh shit!_

There L was, completely naked with his back turned to him, looking at Light wide-eyed in the mirror. “I…” Light’s mouth fell open as he stared openly, too shocked and surprised to move as his gaze traveled down the man’s pale body. 

This was _not_ how L had wanted something like this to happen. Not when Light had been clearly avoiding him, not when he was sore and tired and grumpy, and… his mouth slowly fell open as he watched Light’s reaction to walking in on him like this. After the way Light had eventually closed off in response to his teasing and flirting all week, L had been forced to conclude that Light wasn’t interested in him in _that_ way after all, which had been a… _depressing_ prospect, but nothing L couldn’t handle. _Not like anyone else I’ve ever had a crush on liked me back, so why should Light?_

Heat rose to Light’s cheeks but he felt he couldn’t move, couldn’t drag his eyes away from L’s ass. “Oh god, I…” Light had had so many fantasies of this exact scenario over the course of the week, but he never thought it would actually HAPPEN. He snapped his eyes back up to the mirror, trying to stammer out an apology and just _get the fuck out of there_ like he was sure L wanted. _Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck..._ But his wine-addled brain had chosen this moment to give him the blue screen of death and he could only stand there like a blushing mostly-naked statue who was gradually getting hard in his very tight, very small briefs.

L’s grip on the edge of the vanity tightened as that shocked gaze slid over his body, and it was clear now that Light was staring at his _ass_ , and L was hit with a dizzying rush of hormones at the revelation that, _no_ , actually, the attraction must be _mutual_. A hopeful smile began to lift the corners of his mouth, only one thought going through his mind… _I wasn’t wrong!_

Flushing under the scrutiny, L swallowed hard, his own gaze wandering down Light’s nearly naked body as well; he could scarcely believe his good luck, seeing Light in only his underwear proved that his roommate was absolutely _gorgeous_ , and it was clear he worked out in some form or another. And just as clear that Light _really_ liked what he was seeing. _Oh shit, he might actually BE almost as big as the monster,_ L thought to himself in a daze, looking back up to Light’s face as his breathing quickened. “Um.” _Fuck_ , he was starting to get hard, too.

Licking his lips, L said weakly, “Well, uh… surprise, I’m home…?” The look on Light’s face made him giggle, and L shifted slightly, hyper aware of Light’s gaze still on his body as he half turned to look at Light _properly._

Light finally snapped out of the daze he was in when L spoke, and he pulled in a shuddering breath as he stammered, “I-I’m sorry...should have knocked I just wasn’t--” He swallowed hard as L turned slightly, showing his body in profile, and Light’s already mangled words died in his throat, barely croaking out, “...thinking.” L’s own excited state now became crystal clear, and a stab of desire made him shudder slightly. _He really...he really is into guys then?! I WASN’T imagining it!_ A little smile crossed his face at the realization but was quickly wiped away by feeling how _weird_ this must be to L, Light barging in there and just staring. _He must think I’m a creep…_ “S-sorry, I’m SO sorry…” He took a shaky step backwards, nearly stumbling as he bumped against the doorframe behind him. Light’s gaze finally slid down to the counter where he saw… _what...is...THAT?_ A tidal wave of shock hit him again, the modicum of progress he’d made getting a hold of himself slipping away in the face of the dildo sitting in plain view. 

L watched Light try to find his footing and stammer out apology after apology, finding it a little confusing, but also oddly endearing. _Fuck, for someone who is so confident otherwise, he’s really awkward around me._ It made L wonder if Light had even _less_ experience with sex, or even just attraction in general, than _he_ did, because as clearly aroused as Light was… “Are you going to just _stand_ there?” he asked, biting his lip.

Light was completely hard in his underwear now and acutely aware of it, and from what L said, his confused mind didn’t know if it was an invitation to come in or an annoyed request to get out. He backed up again, wide eyes on L as he murmured another apology and slammed the door _finally_ , turning and leaning against it as he panted in the dim room. _Oh no, I am so screwed._

Well, L had been _hoping_ Light would at least come kiss him. He would gladly have initiated anything else. _Guess I should be VERY precise here, huh?_ Unfortunately, he didn’t have much of a chance to make it clear to Light what he _wanted_ , unable to do much more than smile and take a step towards the floundering man before Light slammed the door between them. The tiny smile immediately disappeared as L stared at the door in bewilderment. _What?!_

Light brought a hand to cover his eyes, not knowing if he should laugh or cry or sink down through the floor and die of humiliation. The image of L’s naked body, _aroused_ , was branded into his mind, which was exactly what he didn’t need right now given how difficult the past few days had already been. His hand traveled down to squeeze himself in his underwear, and he whined softly as he knew he’d have to get off now (for the third time that day). But even behind the closed door he felt exposed. L had seen him, seen his body, seen Light’s reaction to _L’s_ body. What would it be like now trying to live together? And how much longer would Light be able to control himself?

Light leaned up from the door, walking over to the windows and closing the blinds, whispering curses under his breath. He was pacing the room, freaked out and horny as _hell_ , and wanted nothing more than to bust back in there and grab L, push him up on that counter and fuck him _hard_ in front of the mirror. _Oh shit oh shiiiiit…_ He stopped pacing and cast a longing look at the door, unable to stifle a little giggle that worked its way out at the sheer absurdity of the situation. It would be a BAD idea to hook up with your roommate, Light knew that plainly. Especially one that went to school with him...might spread rumors about him...ruin his reputation if things went south. Light had enough liabilities as it was, and it would be idiotic to put his Kira plans--and the perfect image that hid them-- in danger. He slid his underwear off and climbed into bed, pressing his face into a fluffy pillow to stifle his pants and soft moans as he jacked himself. It didn’t take more than a few tight strokes before he came in the sheets, too exhausted and humiliated to do much more than pull the covers over his head and go to sleep.

\-----

L huffed out a confused breath and shook his head, grabbing the dildo and determinedly heading for the bath. “You are a confusing man, Light Yagami,” he mumbled, turning off the water and climbing in. Even that seeming rejection wasn’t enough to kill his arousal, because the open desire on Light’s face as he had looked at him was sending a dangerous thrill through L’s body every time he thought about it. A smile spread across his face again as he sank down in the comfortable tub, idly reaching to stroke himself. Maybe Light would actually talk to him before he had to go to work, but one way or another… he wanted to resolve this _thing_ that was clearly between them. _I hope he doesn’t run away again._

\---- the next evening ----

As it turned out, L didn’t see Light at _all_ before he had to leave for work the following day, which had the unfortunate effect of him being a little grumpy throughout his shift. On the other hand, _that_ at least meant that he wasn’t constantly trying to hide any ill-timed boners, so _that_ was a plus. _I wonder if Light even got the note I left on the kitchen counter,_ L thought with a sigh as the door beeped open for him as he returned to the apartment that night. He went to the fridge and grabbed a beer, taking a long pull right from the bottle as he made his way to the bathroom. This time, he didn’t even bother dropping his backpack off in his room, and as he eyed the door to Light’s bedroom, he debated. _Leave him be, or try to provoke a response?_

Quickly divesting himself of his clothes, L chewed on his bottom lip as he stuffed the dirty clothes in his backpack, and then finally shrugged. “Fuck it,” he murmured, grabbing his phone and putting on his favorite ‘sexy’ playlist, giggling to himself as he stepped into the shower stall to the moody opening chords of Chokehold. The beat pounded through the room as he turned the water on, just letting the water soak into him for a good minute as he relaxed. If nothing else, _if_ Light was home, he might come in and at least turn the music off, which might be an opportunity to talk. _Or whatever he wants to do._ At this point, anything was better than this awkward limbo of uncertainty he was stuck in.

\----

Light was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling swimming in his vision. He wasn’t just tipsy tonight, he was flat out drunk, although he hadn’t _meant_ for it to get this bad. He’d mostly stayed in his room today, patently avoiding seeing L before the man went to work. When Light had finally come out, he’d found L’s note on the kitchen counter:

_“Light, I would like to talk about last night when I get home, if you’re good for it. And please stop avoiding me. I like spending time with you._ 🙁

_L”_

The note was lying beside him now as glowered in the darkness, and he knew he was being a huge coward by reacting to their encounter like this. But he didn’t know what to say and the sexual tension was so electric and dangerous between them, Light _knew_ he’d do something he’d regret. He was about to reach for more of his wine when he heard loud, thumping music coming from his bathroom. _Damn it!_ He wasn’t expecting L to choose to use his bathroom again after what happened last night, and he winced as the throbbing beat thrummed through him, erotic thoughts flooding his mind. L was doing it on purpose, taunting him! With his proximity and his moans and flirting and sexy songs! 

He rolled to his side in frustration, squeezing his eyes shut and crumpling L's note in his hand. _I’m going to snap...I’m going to snap…I’m going to…_

_Snap._ Light opened his eyes, slitted as he stared at the faint glow coming from under the door. _That’s fucking it._ A serene calm came over him as he felt the last of his resistance slide away, despite or perhaps because of the alcohol addling his mind. He threw off the covers and dashed over to the bathroom door, throwing it open. Steam filled the space but he knew where L was---in the shower and apparently hadn’t heard the door open due to how loud the music was. He took slow, predatory steps closer, a little smirk playing on his lips as he saw that L had his face in the spray. Wasn’t paying attention to Light’s approach and the clothing being shucked off and dropped in his wake.

When he was just outside the open shower, Light reached out a single finger, running it from the base of L’s spine up to his neck, and then quickly leapt inside, slamming L to the marble wall with a hand against the back of his neck. Light was panting hard as he pressed his naked body against L’s, too drunk on lust and wine to think about what he was doing. 

The feeling of calm that had finally settled over L shattered with a low gasp as the unmistakable sensation of _fingers_ slid up his spine, and he didn’t even have time to turn around to make sure it was _Light_ before he was shoved against the wall. 

Light’s voice was low, deceptively sweet and dangerous, “I got your note.” His other hand curled around L’s hip to immobilize him against the wall, and he shifted himself until his cock settled right in the cleft of L’s ass. “So let’s _talk_.”

The near immediate arousal that coursed through L was tempered with a moment of fear as he felt fingers close against his neck, a naked body press against his, heavy panting in his ear - and then Light spoke, sending a shudder through L’s body as he sucked in a harsh breath. _Oh fuck… well, I definitely got a response!_ Licking his lips, L opened his mouth to speak, except what came out instead was a ragged moan as Light’s cock pressed right in between his cheeks, and any lingering fear he might have felt fled as he arched into the younger man, his heart pounding rapidly. _Holy FUCK, this is really happening!_

Light felt electric and alive, finally skin to skin with L and the sensation of slick, hot flesh against him made him moan quietly. He whispered silkily against L’s wet shoulder, “Is this what you wanted?” He licked a long, slow stripe along L’s skin and up his neck, biting _hard_ where the choker would usually sit. Harshly, “You’ve turned my apartment into your own little jerk-off fantasyland, haven’t you?” He pressed his cock against L, letting him feel how hard he was, his size, before sliding it between the man’s cheeks rhythmic and slow. “All that moaning through the wall, teasing me...I know you’re fucking yourself, aren’t you?” He rotated his hips and then knocked L’s legs apart, yanking L’s hips back while keeping a steady pressure on the man’s neck. “I bet you were thinking about me.” 

The way Light was speaking to him, so low and dangerous, was so much _sexier_ in person than it had been in his fantasies, the way he was dragging that deceptive tongue against L’s skin, _biting_ him, the feel of Light rubbing up against him so _intimately_ in a mimicry of _sex_ so _thrilling_ … _Yes, please, FUCK me, Light,_ he thought, unable to articulate the thought out loud as he pressed back against Light’s cock with a wanton moan, wiggling his hips provocatively. He didn’t even _care_ how it made him look, because he had been wanting _this_ since the first time he had been in this shower. L could only squirm and moan out a desperate “ _yesss_ " to each question Light leveled at him like an accusation, letting Light maneuver his body however he wanted it, nearly incoherent with the effort to get _more_ of this.

It absolutely _thrilled_ Light to feel, hear how L was responding against him, the man’s moans of _‘yes’_ only spurring him on to further lose himself to the consuming lust. He laughed into L’s neck when the music switched to ‘Closer,’ yelling, “I knew it!,” triumphantly when L admitted he _was_ thinking about Light when he was moaning through the wall all week. Softer, as he slipped the tip of a wet finger in and out of L, “I knew it…” He hummed when he felt L clench down on him, so impatient to be inside the man now that L was pushing back against him, encouraging him to _keep going_. He let his hand slide between them, kneading L’s ass, letting his fingers stroke and play against the man’s entrance. “Should I give you what you want?”

L found himself giggling breathlessly when Light yelled, because he could already tell that this encounter was going to be nothing but pure, intense, _raw_ release, and Light’s reaction was an utterly adorable moment that sent a thrill through him that had absolutely _nothing_ to do with sex. In the very next instant, that sweet moment vanished, and he groaned and shuddered at the shallow penetration, pressing back against Light’s fingers and whimpering out a low, “Ohhhhh my _GOD_ , yes!” He hadn’t even noticed when the music changed until he heard Trent Reznor’s voice, and he laughed, a full body shiver going through him as he gasped, “Light! _Please!_ ” It was a different feeling to have someone _else’s_ finger in his ass, and the loss of that sensation pulled a low whine of, “ _Liiight!_ ” from him, coming out more needy than he’d meant it to, but he was already insensate and _far_ past caring.

That moan of his name paired with that _beg_ made Light feel high with adrenaline, and he yanked his finger back to grab a bottle of oil from the shelf in the shower. He popped the cap with his thumb and squeezed it between them, coating his cock and L’s backside with the slick substance before tossing it aside to the floor with a clatter. “And do YOU know that I got myself off listening to you moan like a _whore_ every night?” He spread the oil over himself and pressed two fingers into L, banging fast and then curling to probe for the man’s prostate. He gave a cocky grin, not that L could see it properly with his cheek smashed against the wall, “Wonder if you’ll moan as loud for the real thing, _slut_.” He leaned to kiss the place on L’s neck where he’d bit, now an angry red bruise with _very_ distinct teeth marks, closing his lips around it and sucking as he positioned his cock at L’s entrance. He teased the tip up and down a few times before moving his mouth up to suck at L’s earlobe, immensely enjoying _finally_ breaking through all the tension that had been building inside him and turning it around on the object of his obsession. 

Body jerking in reaction to that loud clatter, L tried to glance back at Light, but it was difficult to move his head when Light wasn’t _letting up_. This whole thing was _so_ hot, his breath was coming in harsh pants, moaning loudly at the way Light was speaking, at how Light was fucking his fingers into L’s body so insistently, and as lips closed over the throbbing bite mark, his mind reeled at the knowledge that _he was listening to me, he was getting off on what I was doing, oh fuck, oh FUCK_. “Light, fuck, _please_!” he begged, voice pitching high and squeezing his eyes shut as those dirty words sank into him, writhing back against Light as the other man teased him mercilessly. “ _Please_ , fuck, I need-”

Light couldn’t wait another moment, pressing inside that velvet heat with a loud gasp in L’s ear, exhaled as a broken moan as he started to move right away, slowly at first so he wouldn’t come too soon. He removed his hand from the back of L’s neck, scraping nails down the man’s chest and stomach as he built a slick, pounding rhythm. Gripping around L’s middle, he yanked the man between his body and the wall, fingers clenching at L’s hip to pull him into every thrust. This wasn’t slow, gentle sex, this was _fucking_ ; Light rolling his hips to slide even deeper into L, whispering obscene things against the man’s shoulder about how _good_ he was making Light feel, how tight and hot he was, how he’d been aching for this all week. 

L let out a loud, incoherent sound as Light pressed inside him, eyes squeezed shut and mouth wide open as he _took_ it - as he’d expected, there was nothing _gentle_ about this. And if it hadn’t been for how many times this week he had used the monster, it might have hurt more than it _did_ to suddenly be filled _so_ full, with very little preparation, and _no_ time to adjust. Still, it wasn’t an unbearable pain, and in fact, the roughness (and the fact that Light wanted him _this_ badly) had him _throbbing_ , even before Light began fucking him in earnest.

“Since you’ve been here...I’ve had to jack off more than I ever had in my LIFE!” Light slammed hard into L, all self-control gone as liquid pleasure radiated through his body, pointing to the shattering climax to come. He whispered to L all the places he’d done it with each thrust, dressing rooms, showers at university, public restrooms, the very cafe L worked at. He laughed darkly at that one, thinking back to drink L had made him at their very first meeting and well…

Every confession Light spoke against L’s skin, in his ear, sent another hot stab of pleasure through him, pulled increasingly incoherent gibberish from his mouth as he let Light tug his body into each thrust, bending nearly double from the effort of trying to hold himself up against the wall by his elbows. A particularly vigorous thrust had L seeing stars, and it felt so _incredible_ that it nearly pushed him over the edge, a loud wail escaping him as he panted, limbs shaking with the need to _fucking come_. “Light- _ahhhh, hnn,_ FUCK _\- Light!_ ” _This is so much HOTTER than any of my fantasies_ , he thought, nearly biting through his lip when Light _finally_ closed his fingers around L’s throbbing, neglected erection. “Oh god, _yessss,_ ” he moaned, clenching hard around Light, fingers curling against the wet tile and thighs burning with tension.

Light moaned loudly as he got closer, grinning and feeling so _free_ , like _finally_ he could drop his cracked facade and take what he wanted. He panted, “Maybe this is...this is how you should pay rent from now on…” Light was nearly manic, licking and biting at L’s skin as his oil-coated hand slid from L’s hip to his cock, sliding with the rhythm he had set. “Do you want to be _my_ little whore?” His hand twisted on L’s cock, stroking slow and then fast again just to feel L clench around him and make him shudder at the intense pleasure. _Oh fuck...almost there._ “There’s no...no lock on your door L…” He was breathing raggedly, not even feeling like he was in his body but rather just pure sliding pleasure and power. “Maybe I’ll...oh fuckkk….” He jerked against L’s body and pushed him further against the wall as he came inside L, heart pounding and nails digging into flesh, laughing and moaning, “Come on...show me...what a slut you are.”

L’s head was hanging down now, hair plastered to his face and dripping in front of his eyes as he labored for breath, though he managed to keep himself from going over the edge just long enough to be able to growl out, “ _YES_ , make me your whore, Light, I- oh fuck, Light, I’m-” As Light pressed him back against the wall, spurting inside of him, L’s body clenched with release, and he was _screaming_ , writhing in pleasure as he came hard, head thrown back against Light’s shoulder now. 

Light could barely hear the music over the blood pounding in his ears, his eyes nearly closed as he floated in the blissful afterglow. His head was swimming, dizzy with endorphins and alcohol, so relaxed that he had to hold himself up from the wall and steady his footing before slipping out of L. He panted out, “That was so good…,” which was as eloquent as he could be in this moment, and an obvious understatement. It was the release of a week’s worth of bottled up tension plus what related to years of hiding who he was. Light’s body tingled pleasantly but he was suddenly so tired, feeling somewhat confused like he _knew_ he should be in bed instead of this shower. 

By the time L was feeling more coherent, Light had already slipped out of him, and he slid down the wall on wobbly legs to sprawl on the floor of the shower stall, smiling up at the other man in a bit of a daze. “ _So_ good,” he agreed softly, eyes falling half shut as he basked in the afterglow, trying to figure out how exactly he had _gotten_ so lucky. _What a first time, goddamn!_ He had already been pretty tired when he’d gotten _home_ , but now, after _that_? He was exhausted. _But a good exhausted this time. That was so much better than I could have ever imagined._

Light blinked a couple times at L, slumped against the wall and shivering in the edges of the shower spray, and stepped backwards on shaky legs, dripping water all over the floor. He giggled, shooting L a lop-sided smile, “I...I’m drunk…” He didn’t know what else to say and didn’t want to apologize since he wasn’t sorry in the _slightest_. Light turned around and caught himself on the door jamb, stumbling into his bedroom and falling into his bed without bothering to dry off or close the door. And when his eyes closed, it was far closer to passing out than falling asleep, covered in water and oil and cum, not even under the blankets. 

When L heard Light giggle, he blinked his eyes back open, beaming when he saw that adorable lop-sided smile on Light’s face. “Light, come here,” he said with a giggle, beckoning for the man to join him. It didn’t matter to _him_ how drunk Light was, he just wanted to give him a hug. But Light just stumbled out of view instead. _What?_ Squinting in confusion, he crawled to the door to peer after Light, breaking into a fit of giggles as he watched him fall onto his bed.

“I guess he was really tired as well as really drunk,” L murmured to himself, carefully pulling himself up to stand, wincing. Now that he wasn’t in the heat of the moment, he was extremely sore, the type of soreness that L knew was going to take a day or two to go away. “Worth it,” he whispered, unable to stop beaming as he finally began to soap himself up. “ _So_ worth it.” _I wonder how bad his hangover is going to be._ He hoped it wasn’t too bad, but either way, he wanted to do something nice for Light tomorrow… if he was able to move at _all_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chokehold: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PWz-VA6jIk  
> Closer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tOaQsNa5Js


	6. About Last Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light and L have to face each other and grapple with what happened the night before. L makes a confession and Light makes a plan.

As it turned out, even though L had fallen asleep almost the moment his head hit the pillow, he didn’t end up waking up until nearly noon the next day, barely able to stagger off to the bathroom to do his business. “Fuck,” he groaned, falling stiffly back into bed for a long moment before forcing himself to get up again and put on some pajama pants as he staggered into the kitchen to make himself some coffee - and get some painkillers. As he was brewing a cup of espresso, he looked around the kitchen curiously, opening the dishwasher and the fridge… but there weren’t any signs of Light having been in the kitchen yet, which was odd. The other man was usually up by this time. _But then, he WAS pretty drunk last night._

L didn’t really think too much of it as he curled up carefully on the couch, idly flipping through the channels for an hour as he sipped his drink, glancing at the door to the bedrooms every so often. _This is boring._ He finally gave up; there was clearly no point in waiting for Light to wake up, he would wake up on his own time, so L sighed and pushed himself up carefully to go back to his room. _Ugh, I should really do some studying._ Opening the curtains, L grabbed his smokes from the drawer in his bedside table, and his phone, slipping up to the roof for a quick smoke before settling in to enjoy the sun shining through his window as he cracked open his Childhood Psych textbook.

\---

It was the mid-afternoon sun that finally woke Light up, and he yanked a pillow over his face with a groan, trying to block it out. _Ugh...my head hurts so bad. How much did I drink last night?!_ He lifted his head up slightly to squint at the alarm clock, yelling, “Shit!” when he saw what time it was. _How is it already 2 pm?!!!_ Now he was really screwed-- he was supposed to spend the day studying for finals with his Tort Law study group, and since he was the only one among them that took coherent notes, he knew his phone was full of salty messages. 

He flopped over on his back, trying to muster up the energy to get dressed and get some orange juice when a sudden mental image made him gasp and cover his mouth. _Oh no...did I really..._ He sat up sharply, looking down at himself as he tossed the pillows and covers aside. _No...no no noooooooo!_ Light was still sticky and slick from the oil and his bedsheets were a ruin, still damp in places and stained in others, and the whole bedroom smelled like… Light let out a soft mournful noise, sinking back into his bed as waves of shame and humiliation washed over him. It was coming back to him now-- how he’d snuck up on L in the shower and practically _assaulted_ the man, didn’t even use a condom! Hot tears pricked his eyes because he’d come so close to having a friend and now he’d ruined everything, there was no way L would want to stay here after that. Light felt panic that L might even go to the police! _I really fucked up!_ “Oh no, nooo, no…..”

He wiped his eyes, standing up and going to his desk which he’d moved from L’s room to here by the window. Light slumped down defeatedly into his chair, pulling a blank piece of (regular) paper from a drawer and immediately penning a letter in his neat, elegant writing:

_L,_

_I have no words to tell you how ashamed I am of my behavior last night. It’s no excuse, but I was extremely drunk. I acted so inappropriately on so many levels, I couldn’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am. I did not mean any of those awful things I said to you, and if you want to move out, I would completely understand. Actually, I’d understand if you hated me and never wanted to see my face again. I’d deserve it. I will never touch you again, I swear it, and if you do choose to stay I promise…_

He paused here and wondered what he really could promise. His attraction to L hadn’t lessened, if anything it was _ten times worse_. Light sighed and went on anyway.

_...to make your stay here pleasant and professional, as I should have done in the beginning. I’ve made a mess of things and I’m sorry. That’s not nearly good enough, but I do mean it._

_-Light_

He folded up the letter, shrugging on some casual clothes as he walked to the door and peeked out. _Coast’s clear._ Light tiptoed over to the kitchen and snagged an entire carton of juice from the fridge, threw the letter on the island, and dashed back to his room to nurse his hangover.

\----

When he startled awake again, L blinked blearily at his clock, frowning in confusion. _3:52? Did I fall asleep?_ He wasn’t entirely sure what had woken him up, but it was probably time for him to get mobile again. Shuffling stiffly into the kitchen again, L pulled open the fridge to look for something to snack on, and then slowly straightened up, eyes wide, turning to the island… or more importantly, to the note resting on the island. “Maybe he had plans for today,” L whispered under his breath, tugging the paper towards him, smiling to himself. The actual content of the note immediately wiped the smile off his face, though, and by the end of the letter, L’s face was a blank mask. _Whaaaat?!_ He read it again, and then once more for good measure, chewing on the inside of his mouth as his expression crumpled. _He’s… ASHAMED? Of what? Does he not remember how much I clearly wanted it? What is he PLAYING at?_ “What the _fuck_?”

His lips were trembling with the urge not to cry out of disappointment and hurt and sheer frustration, because hadn’t they had a _connection_ last night? L had thought they were finally being _real_ about their feelings last night, finally admitting their attraction, and now Light was trying to say that he’d ‘acted inappropriately’, like L hadn’t been _begging_ for more, like he hadn’t been egging Light on, _this is all so stup-_ He snatched the note up and made his way to Light’s bedroom door. He hesitated a moment, knocking before calling quietly, voice wobbly enough to betray his emotions, “Light? Um… Are you there?” _Fuck, he’s going to know something’s wrong. Please be here, and please don’t shut me out again_ , he thought, swallowing hard and blinking rapidly as he tried to compose himself. 

Light had his tort law textbook cracked open on his desk but he couldn’t pay attention, couldn’t study. The pain pills weren’t working and the juice just made him feel nauseous. Ryuk had only stopped by for a moment to cackle at him before flying off who knows where. He didn’t even feel like writing in the Death Note or working on his Kira plans, just wanted to crawl back into bed and stay there like a coward. That’s what he was being and he knew it, running away from his problems and ignoring them until they went away. Which was why when he heard a knock on his door and L’s soft voice calling from the other side, he almost didn’t answer it. _No. Stop being a coward. If he wants to yell at you, he deserves to do that._

He swallowed hard and walked to the door, purposefully avoiding looking in the mirror. Light knew he looked like hell, probably looked as shitty as he felt. He hadn’t combed his hair or showered or put on anything but track pants and a t-shirt. But who was he trying to impress now? _Let him see me at my worst._ He swallowed and opened the door, wishing he could feel numb instead of the rush of emotions when he saw L standing there with his note. 

L blinked in shock at seeing just how much of a worn out _mess_ Light looked. His mouth was already open to ask if everything was okay, but it was obvious that everything _wasn’t_ , and besides, he already knew how self- pitying Light was feeling from the note clutched in his hand. 

Light mumbled, “Hi L,” before looking away with a small frown. He’d invite L in but he didn’t want to presume that L would want to come into his bedroom after last night. It was trashed in there anyway, pill bottles and juice spills and filthy bedsheets. _Disgusting._ “I uh...was there something you wanted?”

L gaped for a long moment, wanting nothing more than to shake the younger man by the shoulders and yell at him, _I want YOU, you dipshit, are you blind?_ He couldn’t bring himself to do that, though. Instead, he said softly, “Yes.” Holding out the note, he continued, “I got your note. And…”

_And I don’t have a clue what to say. If I tell him how much I like him, I might scare him off and get kicked out. But I don’t want this situation to be ‘professional’ and devoid of any real connection, either._ He stared at Light, then down at the note, then back to Light, and a feeling of calm resignation came over him. “Light, look at me.” The moment L had Light’s attention, he ripped up the note, hoping he wasn’t destroying any possibility of salvaging even a _friendship_ from this mess. _I seem to ruin everything I touch, I can’t ruin this too._

Light slowly dragged his bloodshot eyes from the floor to the note L was holding out between them. At that point he could only stare as L ripped up the paper, which felt like being punched in the gut at first, his face crumpling and eyes burning with tears of shame.

Seeing the way Light was tearing up at his actions was a hard thing to watch, and as L crumpled the paper in his hands, all he could think was, _I’m sorry._ Staring down at the torn pieces of paper in his hands, he said in a firm voice, “I don’t accept your apology. Because you have absolutely _nothing_ to be ashamed about. Nothing to be _sorry_ about. I don’t want to move out. And I could _never_ hate you. I like you too much.” He sighed, unable to look up as he tried to blink back tears. “I wish you would tell me why you feel that way, because I don’t understand.” 

Light had to blink a few times to actually process the words. _He’s not angry? Doesn’t think I have anything to apologize for?_ His lips parted in surprise because when L knocked on his door, that was the last thing he expected to hear. He whispered softly, “You...don’t want to move out?” He smiled a little when L said he _liked_ him, and he could see the sincerity in the man’s eyes. It wasn’t a trick, L really _wasn’t_ upset. He _meant_ it.

Taking a deep breath, L looked back up and gave Light a shaky smile. That soft whisper just drew a faint shake of his head, and seeing Light smile… was a relief. _Oh thank god,_ he thought, releasing a puff of breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I, uh… know for a fact that it’s not exactly a welcoming society we live in for people like _us_ , but you’re not _wrong_ for… liking other men, you know. You could have told me. I would never judge you.”

Light breathed in deeply and let it out, relief and an odd desire to laugh at what a fool he’d been all week flooding over him. Dodging L, deflecting all his (what were in retrospect) clear attempts at flirtation, avoiding the elephant in the room instead of just talking about it like mature adults. _I haven’t been that this week._

He nodded, biting his lip as he started to actually feel better. “You’re right, I really should have just talked to you. But I…” He shrugged a little but L seemed to understand the societal pressures in this situation. “...I wasn’t sure how to. I’ve never _felt_ like this before. I knew I preferred men in general, but…” _Ugh, all of this is so hard to say._

L bit his lip, feeling a little sheepish as Light started to explain himself, because in all honesty, _he_ hadn’t exactly been forthcoming, _either_ , had he? _I was completely obvious in OTHER ways, but I should have just told him I liked him from the start, instead of trying to play it off as only wanting a friend._ He tilted his head, shifting from one foot to the other, a small giggle falling from his lips at Light’s wild hair, and even distracted as he was by how _cute_ Light still looked, in his mind, this seemed the _perfect_ time to interject, to apologize. But the way Light was looking at him stopped him, heart pounding hard as he waited for the younger man to continue, staring with wide eyes. 

Light ran a hand through his sticky hair as he laughed nervously, making it stick up in disarray, and then met L’s eyes. “...I never preferred a specific one. Until you.” And there was the root of what had been plaguing Light all week, baldly stated as it probably should have been much, much earlier. 

_‘Until me?’_ L’s breath caught, because no-one had ever really felt that way about _him_ before. Not really. _He REALLY never liked anyone until ME?_ “Light…” 

“I didn’t really know how to deal with that and you weren’t exactly going _easy_ on me, were you?” Light gave L a genuine smile then, to let him know that he wasn’t sorry one bit that L had just been himself, like Light should have done.

Those words _sounded_ like an accusation, but that sweet smile just made L laugh, ducking his head shyly as he said softly, “Uhhh… well, I should have been a little more honest with _you_ , as well.” _Instead of trying to gauge your interest in other ways._ “If I had known…”

Stepping closer, L nearly opened his arms for a hug, but hesitated. That was probably a discussion in itself, because he wasn’t even sure yet if they were going to try just being _friends_ , or… They had a _lot_ to talk about, either way. So instead, he reached out to gently squeeze at Light’s wrist, smiling again. “Did you really _mean_ that? You’ve never been interested in anyone else?” His smile froze on his face as he got a peek over Light’s shoulder at the mess that was his room, and he looked back at the other man with wide eyes. _Ugh… well, I can definitely sympathize with trashing one’s room while drunk._

Light flinched slightly when L reached for him, suddenly feeling very uncomposed. It was a relief to speak honestly but he couldn’t help but be acutely aware of his need for a shower, of how he’d slipped in his usual routine and care over the whole week to lead to finally admitting he liked another man under the worst circumstances imaginable. He couldn’t go back in time but he could at least wash up, and he wasn’t going anywhere but into the shower after L’s giggle at his hair and the look over his shoulder at the state of his room. 

Awkwardly, L looked up at Light, chewing on his lip before offering, “Hey… so how about I make you some coffee, or a latte, or something? We can talk somewhere a little more comfortable. There are some things I should… probably tell you, anyway.” _Ugh, he might not even want me after this._ And talking while standing awkwardly in Light’s doorway was… _less_ than ideal. In any case, he should probably put a shirt on. Tugging at Light’s wrist as he stepped back, L added, “I promise you’ll feel better.” He nearly added an offer to help Light clean up his room, but stopped himself at the last second. _He might not appreciate it. Maybe make the offer later._

Light stepped into the bathroom with L and closed the door behind him, carefully extricating L’s fingers from his wrist even as he smiled. “Let me get cleaned up first and then I’ll have a coffee with you. I wouldn’t be able to relax otherwise.” He caught L’s eyes, “And I do want to talk to you, just...not like this.”

That little flinch from Light made L suddenly _very_ glad he had trusted his instincts and _not_ tried to hug him. _Baby steps, then. I can do that._ Swallowing hard, L nodded at Light and softly said, “Okay. I, uh… I get it, I _do_. I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re ready.” The urge to apologize for making Light uncomfortable was strong, but he just smiled instead, turning and making his way carefully out of the bathroom.

Light waited until L left to shut the door, close his eyes and just breath for a moment before turning on the shower. A blush rose to his cheeks at being in here again, the memories of last night coming back more vividly. But it took a different color now--where he’d been anxious and ashamed before, that fell away like the dirt washing off his skin. It was still odd to come to terms with the reality that Light Yagami could be _like that_ , but deep down he’d always known it, skirted it. Maybe with L he didn’t have to. _I am like that. That was me._ Without the negative feelings, he remembered that L had pushed him even _further_ , hadn’t stopped him when he clearly could have or just said no. _He said a lot of ‘yes’ now that I recall._ That made him smile as he scrubbed himself with soap, feeling his spirits lift that at least there wasn’t deceptiveness between them anymore. The cat was out of the bag.

L took a moment to take a deep, relieved breath, a smile spreading across his face as he went to put on a t-shirt - the black one with the antlers and Will Graham’s ‘ _this is my design_ ’ quote. _I’m sure he’ll like this shirt,_ he thought with a snicker, smoothing it out, and after a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed his normal chain as well, putting it on as he went into the main room. He rummaged around the shelves and pulled out every single kind of coffee Light had stocked, setting everything up in a neat display beside the espresso maker as he waited. _Hmm. Maybe I can convince him to keep the coffee OUT. It’s silly to pull them all out and then put them ALL away every time._

Once Light had gotten dressed (and hidden the Death Note in a waterproof plastic bag in the back of the aquarium), he was already in an immensely better headspace for having a real discussion. He toweled his hair quickly before walking into the living space, freshly scrubbed and hair still damp from the shower, smiling at L as he went into the kitchen. “I _really_ needed that. A coffee would be fantastic if that’s still on offer?”

L turned around with a grin when he heard Light’s voice, gesturing to the display and saying with an innocent tone, “I don’t know, I might not be ready to make coffee yet. Got a preference?” 

Light grinned when he saw L’s t-shirt, walking about the island to get a better look. _That quote sounds familiar._ “Cool shirt. You really weren’t kidding when you said you wanted to be Will Graham, huh?” He leaned against the counter, eyes finally settling on the choke chain L was wearing again, heartbeat speeding up at the sight of it. Even more glaring was the angry purpling bruise just beneath it, a mark that couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than a bite. He licked his lips and didn’t look away, pupils dilating at how the sight of it made him feel. _Like doing it again_. 

L’s gaze flicked down briefly, and he laughed, slumping against the counter easily. “Why would I lie about that? Dude’s fucking cool.” He paused a moment, and smirked. “And I always thought the actor was, uh… kinda cute. In a dorky way. That may or may _not_ have informed some of my fascination of the character.” _Maybe I shouldn’t tell him about the crush I had on Hannibal throughout the show’s run._ The way he was watching Light, it was impossible to miss the way the younger man was staring at his neck, and L had to bite his lip as he shifted. _Maybe all isn’t lost, he still seems interested, after all._

“Uh huh, so you tend to like the cute, dorky type. Is that why I got lucky then?” Light chuckled softly, it felt nice to break the tension and quit pretending like last night didn’t happen. _That it wasn’t amazing as hell._

_Cute, dorky type? I’m not entirely sure you completely fit that archetype._ L said softly, “Mmm… no, not completely. My type is slightly different.” _Like sauve and confident. You’ve got the makings of that even if you’re not quiiiite there yet._ “No, you got lucky because-” _You took what you wanted, oh fuck._ “-you finally took the bait. I don’t think I was subtle at all.”

Light blushed slightly at the comment about him ‘taking the bait,’ silently wondering if that was how L usually got guys’ attention. _Guess it worked on me_. “I might have _also_ enjoyed the, um, aesthetics in Hannibal. Although you’ll probably think I’m odd since Hannibal was my favorite. Not the _eating_ people part but…” A thoughtful look crossed Light’s face, because he didn’t really want to go into all the reasons that character appealed. “...well, he was fascinating.” _I better leave it at that for now._

L turned wide eyes to Light and said in a hush, “Damn, good to know.” He licked his lips, eyes falling half shut as he giggled. “Uhhh… Hannigram, yes or no?” _Please say yes, please say YES_ , he thought, biting his lip slightly. 

Light shrugged when L asked if he shipped Hannigram, which of course he _had._ “I wouldn’t admit it to anyone else but... yes. I kept expecting them to kill each other or for the writers to do the predictable thing and make Will the penultimate _good_ _guy_ in the end, arresting him.” He made air quotes around ‘good guy,’ rolling his eyes. “That would have been so boring. I’m really glad they left it, uh...open-ended.” He stared out the window on the far side of the room, a little smile quirking up his mouth. “Will finally killed though, didn’t he? Got to find out how that felt, and he was finally honest about it. Hmm, it was satisfying.” He recalled being quite surprised that it had ended that way, and only daydreamed a moment more before snapping back to smile at L and watch him prep the espresso machine. 

“I mean…” L laughed at Light’s description, because that had definitely been very close to _his_ takeaway of the show as well. It had been an utterly fascinating portrayal of a man’s loss of self, and the struggle between wanting to do what was ‘right’ and what _felt_ true to one’s self, and what that _meant_. _I wonder what that says about me that I wanted more of THAT Will._ He turned to fiddle with the bags of coffee, cheeks warm as he admitted, “I am still torn between whether that was the perfect ending, or whether I want more, because I could watch those two onscreen for at _least_ another season.”

Light caught L’s eye, tapping the side of his neck as he softly said, “I hope that doesn’t hurt, by the way.” _Don’t apologize, you’re not sorry and I doubt he wants to hear more of your ass-covering._ “I have some concealer if you want it for school tomorrow.” The admission of having makeup made him blush a little, but he wanted to make the offer. “When I pull all-nighters or just haven’t gotten enough sleep I’ll sometimes use it.” _Or when I decide to have Mogi sneak me out to a club and need to look...different._

Light’s soft comment made L’s breath catch, and he flushed, smiling as he looked down and stroking his fingers against the slightly raised bite mark. It didn’t hurt, though it _was_ a little sore when he touched it. “Well… lets just say it’s, uhh… a _good_ kind of sore.” _I liked it a lot._ He eyed Light a moment before saying wryly, “I really appreciate the offer Light, thank you, but I’m a little paler than you. Whatever you’ve got isn’t likely to match me. Besides… I’ve got my own.”

Light raised an eyebrow at ‘ _a good kind of sore,_ feeling a thrill at the potential of that statement. He almost asked if L was sore anywhere _else_ but that seemed to be crossing a line of intimacy they hadn’t quite gotten to yet. _Weird that I can cross physical lines easier, but I guess I didn’t have many inhibitions last night._ He nodded but didn’t say anything when L mentioned he had makeup of his own, wondering to himself under what circumstances L used it. _Does he routinely need to cover up marks from guys or maybe just because he likes it sometimes?_ He certainly felt the appeal of using it to look different, not because he didn’t like his usual appearance but just because it was _fun_. 

He tore his eyes away from the bite mark and forced himself to consider the vast array of coffee that L had arranged on the countertop, but he couldn’t help but wonder if L _would_ let him do it again, if they would... _Stop it, not now._ “I admit I don’t know a lot about espresso which is why I practically bought out the whole store when I got the machine.” He laughed at that, at how he’d thought he was going to get so much use out of it 2 month ago and….didn’t, until now. “But, I _do_ know a little about coffee. Or at least, what I like.” He reached out and picked up a gold vacuum-sealed bag of whole beans, showing it to L. “100% Kona, this one’s from Mauna Loa. That’s my favorite.” It was a bright, rich flavor, not overpowering or over-roasted. “Have you tried it before?” He put it back on the counter, shrugging at all the espresso choices. “If you’re making espresso, I’ll let you pick. There’s got to be something good in there by sheer random chance.”

Hearing that Light had bought all of these different blends at once made L grin, shaking his head. “Well then!” He turned and plucked up the bag Light had just put back on the counter, setting it aside before doing a quick shuffle. He pointed to the group on the right side of the machine and said, “So _those_ are the blends I would absolutely recommend. They’re good almost no matter _what_ you do to them. _These_ ones, on the other hand-” He pointed to the group on the left, casting Light a smile, because the one Light liked was in a prominent place in the ‘good’ group. “These ones require a little… _coaxing._ But they are definitely delicious when you get them just right.” _This is not what I wanted to talk about_ , L thought with a laugh, arching an eyebrow at Light now. “So… do you just want espresso? Or want me to make you a latte with the Kona?”

Light grinned when his beloved Kona made it into L’s ‘good pile,’ but he already knew he liked that kind and was a little curious to try something new. “Maybe a latte would be nice. I have a feeling a tiny cup just isn’t going to do it right now. I probably need a double. So ah…” He glanced over the arrangement of coffees, finally looking back up to L, “Ok, you pick. Because I’ll just admit I only know about a couple of these in ‘coaxing’ pile. Surprise me.” L was the expert in this situation by far, plus he liked the idea of trying L’s choice. 

“Oh, you’re challenging me? Very well!” L smirked, and turned away from Light to make a selection from the ‘coaxing’ section. This one he knew from _experience_ tended to need to be brewed with a little _less_ coffee grounds to avoid tasting burnt. He turned to start getting everything for a latte, the sugar, cocoa powder and some cinnamon as he added carefully, “So, I don’t… know how much you know about me aside from what I’ve said… but I wanted to let you know that I, uh. I have… kind of a bad reputation among much of the student body. An _unearned_ reputation, but… I don’t want you hearing things about me and then getting the wrong idea.” The thought of telling Light made him so nervous, he was nearly hyperventilating, but he forced himself to take a few slow, deep breaths to try and calm down. He needed to get this out at some point. _Might as well let him know I’m not ACTUALLY as much of a slut as my behavior this week suggests._

It seemed like L had something specific on his mind he wanted to talk about and Light didn’t want to derail that. He gave L a quizzical look, because _he’d_ never heard anything about L’s reputation on campus, but then again he tended to say away from gossipy people lest they involve him in their tales. He’d learned that lesson the hard way with Misa and Rem in the past, although thankfully none of it had stuck given her obvious, constant obsession with stalking him when she’d been at To-Oh. “I have to admit I haven’t heard anything like that, so I’ll have to take your word for it. But of course I believe you when you say it isn’t true. I _know_ how malicious rumors can be.” He gave L a sympathetic look, touching his shoulder softly to let him know Light was listening and could be trusted. “What are you afraid I would hear?”

_Where do I even begin?_ L busied himself with measuring as he asked, “Could you please get the milk out of the fridge for me please? And my Doctor Who mug! And grab yourself a mug as well.” He gave Light a smile of thanks when everything was deposited on the counter beside him and placed the mug under the brewer to start crafting Light’s drink, chewing his lip as he debated. _Would he want to hear the whole story, or just the highlights?_ “So… the _very_ truncated version is that it… sort of got around in my first semester that I was interested in guys. And that turned into all sorts of rumors. The _tamest_ one was that I tried to sleep my way through the entire tennis team. How I managed to do _that_ while maintaining top marks and working all the time, I have no idea.”

Light listened closely to L’s explanation about his ‘reputation’ as he fetched the milk from the refrigerator and placed it on the counter along with two mugs. Light didn’t want to interrupt what clearly seemed to be a difficult topic for L to talk about. It was hard not to giggle about the tennis team rumor since _he’d_ been on the team, with the prior semester being his last he expected to play at To-Oh. _That would have been news to me._ He also kept his mouth shut tight about how one was expected to do that when doing so much else, but it was an ironic thing for Light to hear given all Kira had accomplished in the past two years. _I know you didn’t do that but you’d be surprised what people can do behind the scenes._

Setting aside Light’s mug after brewing the second shot, L dumped the grinds into the garbage and set up his _own_ mug, quietly watching until the drip was done before switching to the steam wand. His voice was almost hushed as he said in a deliberately bland tone, “The worst was that I… tried to force myself on someone. Because not only would I _never_ do that, but that story was sort of based on something that actually _happened_.” _Except HE was the one who… ugh, what a dick._ He swallowed hard, and shrugged, adding a bit of cocoa powder to his cup and a bit of cinnamon to Light’s before starting the pour. “That story got _majorly_ twisted around so the other guy could save face. Because he didn’t want people to talk about _him_ like they were talking about _me_.” He set Light’s cup down in front of him, careful not to mess up the design on top, and stirred some extra sugar into his own cup before taking a steadying sip. 

The worst rumor made Light sigh and shake his head. “People can be so cruel when they’re scared. I’m sorry that happened to you, L. Society is pretty rotten sometimes.” 

Swallowing around the lump forming in his throat, L looked over at Light, a slight pout on his lips. “Yeah… it is.” He took a large gulp of his drink, swirling it around in his cup as he stared down at it, then finally said softly, “Thanks, Light. You… you don’t have to apologize for any of that. It’s not _your_ fault.” _I know you had nothing to do with it._

Light felt a pang of guilt creep back in because hadn’t _he_ forced himself on L? Even if L had ended up wanting it and had been obviously flirtatious and provocative, Light hadn’t known what L would truly think until he’d already barged in and slammed him into the wall. _Shit._ He frowned, feeling agitated at that thought but like L didn’t want to hear apologies either. He needed to be a lot more careful going forward-- L had just told him he’d been assaulted in the past and now he was at something of a loss as to why L wasn’t angry with him. He swallowed down those unpleasant feelings behind a forced smile when his latte was ready, but it became genuine after the first sip. “Mmmm, wow. This is really delicious.” He closed his eyes and savored it, “Feel free to experiment with those other varieties anytime. It would only be more mud if I tried, so don’t hold back.” 

It wasn’t lost on L that Light seemed a little upset by his brief description about what happened, though now he thought about it again, he realized that what he had said made it seem like a bigger deal than the situation had actually _been_. He was grateful when Light complimented the drink, because that gave him a moment to chew over how to explain what had actually happened. “Heh, thanks. I’m glad you like it. I’ll definitely make sure you’re included when I find recipes that work.” His smile to Light was genuine, fading away slowly as he let out a heavy sigh. 

Chewing on his bottom lip, L finally said haltingly, “So honestly… I wasn’t even… I wasn’t _mad_ at what actually happened, you know? The whole thing was just… so… _Stupid._ It was stupid. The guy in question approached me randomly, said he was, you know…” Rolling his eyes, he set his drink aside, using air quotes as he continued, “‘ _Curious_ ’ _._ Heard I was into guys, told me he thought I was cute, like, ‘so hey, wanna makeout?’” That pulled a snort from him, and the words were spilling out now, like once he’d started, they wouldn’t _stop_. “And it’s not like _I_ even had a wealth of experience, either, I’d never even kissed _anyone_ at the time, and he was popular, and I was _flattered_ , so I jumped at the chance. It only happened a couple times, because the second time, he tries to stick his hand down my pants, and of course, this is all super new to me, so I tell him to _stop_ , he tries to insist that _it’s fine_ … and when I told him that it wasn’t, and I wasn’t ready for that, he got huffy and _left_.”

Pausing to take a breath, L frowned to himself. “He wasn’t even very subtle, the second time he _actually_ pulled me into the bathroom on the third floor of the main building, so… honestly, I think someone saw us, because the next thing I know, I’m hearing _aaaall_ about how I coerced this guy and… Yeah. And after _that_ rumor came out, people just started spreading malicious, ridiculous stories to the point where I basically became the resident _freak_.” He shrugged helplessly, a brief, genuine smile appearing on his face as he added, “I mean, they aren’t really wrong about the _freak_ part, because I enjoyed last night _very_ much. It’s just that… with _that_ , basically _nothing_ even happened, so it mostly hurt to have someone turn around and accuse me of something I didn’t _do_.” 

Light stayed quiet and listened, and he could hear in L’s voice how much the rumors had bothered him. He understood that feeling, recalling when Misa and Rem had tried to ruin _him,_ but in that instance his standing with student society had been different from L’s. It highlighted that they definitely moved in different circles, and he felt a little surprised not to have heard any of this before. L was a year older though, and To-Oh was large. He wasn’t going to know everything about everyone and didn’t pretend to want to, but he was glad that L wanted to share with him now. _And glad he still enjoyed last night in the cold light of today._

At the end of it he smiled gently and said, “Well, if I hear anything like that on campus I’ll shoot it down. You’re my friend and I won’t have people being unkind to you if I can help it.” A seething malice was festering inside of him towards that boy that L had mentioned who’d grabbed him and spread rumors, but he said as nonchalantly as possible, “Out of curiosity, what was the name of the boy who did that?” He gave L an easy smile, covering the dark thoughts in his mind. “Just so I know who to avoid and all. Wouldn’t want to end up in a senior project or something with him.” _Yes, tell me his name so I can look him up in the student directory._ Even if L refused to tell him, Light was going to make it his business to find out. That boy wasn’t going to survive the week.

The way Light immediately promised to jump to his defense against rumors was intensely gratifying… and L had to press his lips together tightly to try and hide the way they trembled, looking down as he blinked back the sudden moisture in his eyes. _Bringing up unpleasant memories doesn’t make me want to cry, but him wanting to defend me DOES, what is wrong with me?_ A wet giggle left him, and a moment later he took a deep, steadying breath. _Ugh, I don’t really want to say, but…_ Softly, “If you’re involved in _any_ sports on campus, I can almost guarantee you know him. Or probably have heard of him. It was, uhh… Haruki Itō.” Even though he’d hesitated slightly, just saying the other man’s name felt like a weight off his chest, and he had to bite his lip to stifle his relieved huff of laughter, a sardonic lilt to his voice once he’d composed himself. “I think he’s still in the closet, last I heard, he was dating one of the music majors, right?” _Not that it matters anymore_ , L thought, smiling to himself now as he picked his drink back up. He had lucked out completely in meeting Light; it was nice to be able to be himself with someone that actually went to school with him, someone who hadn’t known his reputation and hadn’t judged him on that, someone he could talk to who held his opinions in high regard. 

Light’s face darkened momentarily when L mentioned that the person that had caused him trouble was Haruki Itō, his eyes narrowing. He knew the man, knew him well in fact. His playboy reputation and nasty personality were well known to the tennis team Light had captained the past two years, and Haruki had been a persistent pain in his ass since he’d always been relegated to number two. Challenging Light constantly to try and wrest the captain’s chair from him but never getting close to succeeding, being unsportsmanlike or downright cheating when he could get away with it and the referees weren’t looking. It gave To-Oh a bad name and Light had had to speak with him numerous times, nearly kicking him off the team at a couple points. Past that, the man was an insufferable boor, and Light could completely see him doing something that asshole-ish to L. A plan was already starting to brew in his mind, not that he’d let on anything about it. He felt the urge to giggle that the tennis season was already over so he didn’t have to worry about To-Oh’s win-loss record when their number two player had an ‘unfortunate accident.’ 

“Ah, good to know. I might have had a run-in or two with him, but I’ll be sure to avoid him in the future.” _The very short future he has left_. Did L really not know that Light was captain of the team? Well, he would find out soon when Haruki ‘suddenly’ felt the urge to challenge Light to a final game of tennis before the semester ended. 

L paused when he saw that dark expression cross Light’s face - that was the look of someone with ample knowledge of the man in question, and clearly unimpressed with what he’d seen. And L could guess that, with what he’d seen the other night of Light’s toned body, their connection was likely through one of the sports Haruki was involved in, though which one was up for debate. “I figured,” he said softly. “So… you can see why I never told anyone the truth, then?” Because even though some people probably would have believed him, it would have been his word against a loud mouth who was willing to bully anyone he had to just to stay on top of the social heap. And it hadn’t been worth it to him to set people straight. _Stop thinking about it, it really doesn’t matter anymore, so focus on what you’ve got in front of you._

Light grinned deviously into his coffee, trying to hide how excited he was to finally have a real excuse to put an end to this bastard. He’d make sure to write in the Death Note that Haruki made a huge stink about the challenge so that the whole school turned out to watch. And after Light had trounced him thoroughly (he didn’t need any supernatural help for that, thanks), perhaps the referee stand might have a little topple. He couldn’t help but snort at _that_ mental image, the very symbol of all Haruki’s cheating attempts being his final crushing end. 

Light’s laugh made L blink, giggling to himself as well, even though he had no idea what Light had been thinking about to cause it. _I guess it’s true what they say, laughter is contagious, huh?_

It was a weight off Light’s heart that L didn’t seem to frame what he’d done in the same lens as what happened before, although he still felt very cautious. ”Anyway, when you’re here, you can be yourself and I won’t judge you like those campus bitches.” He relaxed enough to squeeze L’s hand for a moment before letting go. “Plus, we’re in the same boat, right? I think there might be some perks to being a freak, anyway. ” He paused thoughtfully, gazing at L over his coffee as he drank. “I’m only starting to realize that.” Light didn’t envy L’s suffering the bad rumors, but he did envy the freedom to be himself. He wondered if he’d ever have that kind of freedom as long as he had to hide that he was Kira.

That brief moment when Light squeezed L’s hand set his heart racing, and he squeezed back before Light let go, the warm flush on his cheeks deepening as he giggled at the ‘freak’ comment. “Yeah, there are _definitely_ perks to our mutual freakdom,” he said, smile widening. _Does this mean…_ Shifting, he ducked his head, glancing up through his bangs. “So, uhhh… thank you, Light. For listening.” His eyes danced with hope, heart pounding hard as he sipped his drink, and then asked, almost shy now, “Can I… would giving you a hug make you uncomfortable?” He wasn’t _normally_ one for that type of physical affection, but the desire to hug Light was stronger than ever now. 

Light looked up and smiled softly as he set his coffee aside. “No, it wouldn’t at all.” He stepped forward and embraced L gently, wrapping his arms around the man’s waist. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of his own soap on L’s skin, relaxing into the man’s warmth and his human heartbeat. L was going to have to be the one to let go.

L’s breath caught in his throat when Light set his coffee aside, and he followed suit, arms going immediately around Light’s neck and squeezing tight. His own eyes closed as he pressed his cheek into Light’s shoulder, whispering thickly, “ _Thank_ you.” Feeling Light relaxing against him, in his arms, felt _so_ good that L knew he was going to be floating around in a happy daze for probably most of the week. He laughed, softly breathing in the scent of Light’s shampoo as he added, “I wanted to do this last night. I’m glad I got to now.” _Finally._ He wasn’t going to push it, though, and even though he didn’t _want_ to let go, after a long moment, he did loosen his grip, pulling back to look Light in the eyes and unable to resist reaching up to touch Light’s face with gentle fingers. “I get the feeling that I’m one of the few people who really gets to see who Light Yagami really _is_.” He smiled. “Thank you for that.” _I can’t wait to tell mom about you._ He was sure she would be happy that he’d finally found a friend at To-Oh he could trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This](https://i.imgur.com/lDeYX42.jpg) is the Hannibal t-shirt L is wearing.  
> Oh, and his Doctor Who [mug](https://images.lookhuman.com/render/standard/0409589264644620/mug15oz-whi-z1-t-caffeinate-caffeinate.jpg) 😆  
> And the design he put on Light’s [latte](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Latte_art.jpg).


	7. Sudden Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> L’s former bully challenges Light to a tennis match, and L is in the crowd when something unusual happens.

It had been a grueling week of exams and even though Light hadn’t been avoiding L at all, they’d barely seen each other all week since they were taking different classes, studying constantly, or L was working. Given the overall stress of the student body, the cafe had been swamped with people wanting their caffeine fix, which meant extra money but also extra shifts for L. Light had spent his evenings poring over law books in the library, determined to ace every one of the nine exams he had that week due to his doubled-up course load. Two of those were with Aizawa, and Light knew full well the professor would take any opportunity he could to dock Light points-- it had to be perfect. But through it all, Light delighted inside at the secret only he knew, the one he’d written out in his Death Note the night L had told him about Haruki Itō. 

**Haruki Itō, challenges the captain of the To-Oh tennis team to a match to take place at 4:00 pm on March 6, and posts flyers and tells everyone he can about the match. Just after he shakes hands with his opponent at the end of the match, the empty referee tower falls and crushes him to death.**

Light had of course accepted the match, and the students were glad for a competitive distraction, the whole school becoming a-buzz with yet another challenge by Haruki. It wasn’t out of the ordinary really, the kid was constantly trying to get to the top of whatever sport he happened to be playing, but he’d never beaten Light once. This time, Haruki swore, he definitely would. _Pfft, sure._

He hadn’t told L about the match, wanting L to hear about it through the grapevine or via one of the flyers on campus. At the very least, he’d find out about the accident after the fact, and Light would act very surprised and disturbed as would be expected of him. He’d just lost a _teammate_ after all, how tragic! Light nearly laughed all the way to court today, all his exams behind him (which he _knew_ he’d aced), and as he got closer, his eyes went wide with the sheer _size_ of the crowd around the court. _Oh god, the whole school really DID show up._ People were patting him on the back and giving him high-fives, yelling words of encouragement as he finally entered the court and spied Haruki on the other end warming up. He swallowed and scanned the crowd for L but it was a sea of faces, he’d never pinpoint a single person quickly. _I kind of hope he gets to see._

Plus Haruki had spotted him and was yelling across the court, “So you actually showed up! Ready to get your ass whooped, Yagami? I’m gonna crush you!” 

Light smiled tightly as he unzipped his bag and took out Thor, the battered but trusted racquet he’d used since he started playing on the team. Calling back, he tried to sound more friendly than he felt, “Bring it Itō!” He motioned to the referee stand with a grin, “Just try not to cheat this time.” _God’s watching._

_\---_

L could hear the yelling before he even got close to the court, and winced as he hiked his backpack up on his shoulder more, sprinting across the grounds, cursing under his breath. After overhearing his classmates talking excitedly about the match before the exam (‘ _Ha, did you hear Haruki challenged Yagami to another tennis match?’ - ‘Doesn’t he do that, like, once a semester?’ - ‘So what, are you going or not?’_ ), L had hauled ass out of the classroom as _soon_ as he was done, barely even waiting for the instructor to call it. He had _heard_ about the match, of course, because it was all anyone on campus had been _talking_ about, but as he really didn’t care about the bully, he had tuned it out. This was the first time he had heard _who_ Itō had challenged.

“I can’t believe he didn’t _tell_ me,” he muttered under his breath in a huff. “A couple run-ins my _ass_ -” A cheer went up from the court as L skirted around people, continuing to mutter breathlessly to himself as he pushed and shoved his way through the crowd, uncaring of the irritated shouts directed his way - he was absolutely _determined_ to see this match. _I want front row seats!_ Finally, he managed to squeeze his way down to the fence, elbowing aside some guy he’d never seen before.

“Hey! I was standing there!” came the indignant squawk behind him, and L rolled his eyes before grasping the chainlink and scanned the court, his gaze landing on Light and immediately lighting up as he grinned fiercely. Hands grasped at his shoulder as the young man shouted in his ear, “Get lost, that was MY-”

“ _Not_ your spot anymore, so fuck _off_ ,” L snapped, shrugging the guy off and ignoring the whispers around him. He was grateful when the attention shifted back to the match that was about to start, and he leaned forward eagerly, nose nearly pressed into the fence. _Captain of the tennis team, and he didn’t say a WORD when I brought up that rumor._ The thought of that made him laugh, grinning from ear to ear, because now that rumor was partially true. _I only WANT to sleep with the CAPTAIN, who cares about that dumb rumor anymore._ “Kick his ass, Light!” L hollered, knowing that it wasn’t likely Light would even hear him, but wanting to do it anyway. 

\---

Light took a deep breath as he walked to the net, barely registering the words of the referee explaining this was going to be a ‘clean game’ and it would be a sudden death match, a single set with the first to win five games the champion. Haruki grinned smugly at Light, making faces at the referee when her back was turned and generally hamming it up for their crowd, but Light merely stood there with a placid smile. _Enjoy your last time in the sun, asshat._

When the ref was done and had ascended the iron stand near the edge of the net, Light extended his hand as was customary before a match but Haruki only scoffed, hissing, “Heard you got a new roommate this week. Haven’t you _heard_ about that freak? What in the hell were you thinking?” He snickered, turning to wave at the crowd before cackling, “Or maybe Yagami’s gay, huh? Likes _freaks._ ”

Ryuk had been hovering beside Light, determined not to miss out on any of this entertainment and loudly said, “OOOOOhhhhhhh, this kid’s a piece of work, hyuk hyukkkkk. You gonna take that, Light-o?”

Light ignored Ryuk but pulled his hand back with a glower, knowing that Haruki was just trying to get him angry and distracted before the match. Still, it irked the hell out of him to hear the guy talk about L like that. _I do like freaks though, since I’m one of them._

Pleasantly, “What I’d _like_ is for you to shut up and play some tennis, think you can do that?” He smiled at Haruki’s obvious disappointment in getting a rise out of him, turning around to walk to the serving line on his side. As he did, he noticed a familiar shock of spiky black hair wedged close to the fence behind the ref stand. _It’s L!_ He caught L’s eye just for a split second, turning back to focus on the match when a student acting as ball boy ran up and handed him the ball. It was his turn to serve and Light was determined that Haruki wouldn’t even touch it. Ryuk was perched atop the ref stand, munching apples he’d swiped from cafeteria and having a ball amidst all the excitement. 

Light called out, “Love-love” before tossing up the ball and slamming it down in the farthest right diagonal corner of Haruki’s side, a small smile appearing as it whizzed by the surprised-looking man. The crowd exploded with applause when the ref called it good, drowning out Haruki’s shouted obscenities. He couldn’t help but look to where L was standing at the fence and grin, walking to the other side before calling out, “Fifteen-love.” And doing the exact same thing.

\---

_Oh fuck, there that asshole goes being a heel again,_ L thought, a scowl on his face when it became clear that Itō had said something Light didn’t like, if that glower was any indication. “Just ignore the guy, it’s not worth it,” he whispered, fingers coming up to worry at his mouth as he looked around wide-eyed at the crowd. He hadn’t told Light that he’d been to literally _every_ tennis match his first year, had almost tried out for the team himself before realizing early into his first semester that he hadn’t fully prepared himself for university life. And after what happened with Haruki, he had stopped going to matches entirely. But he hadn’t been _entirely_ living under a rock the last two and a half years, either, because he had definitely _heard_ about the talented new guy who had made captain right away, just… _didn’t realize the new hot shot tennis captain was such a sexy undercover freak, ugh, yes!_

Giggling, L watched Light as he walked to the serving line, an electric thrill going through him when Light just went _hard_ right off the bat. “ _Damn_ , go Yagami!” he shouted, voice drowned out by the roar of the crowd and beaming in delight when Light turned to grin at him. _God, I’ve missed coming to matches._ The crowd around him went wild again when Light repeated the tactic, and the way Haruki’s face went red when he missed the ball _again_ was utterly satisfying to him, pounding one hand against the chain with a wicked grin. _Switch it up, you know he’ll get wise to this if you do it again_ , he thought, settling in for what was shaping up to be an interesting match. 

\---

Light was having a blast, eating up the crowd’s attention and Haruki’s increasing frustration with his tactics. His next serve was so low it barely skimmed the net, making Haruki rush forward to try and return it this time and actually managing it before Light lobbed the ball over his head and making him run to the back again (but not fast enough to catch it). 

He won the first three matches easily, using spin to make the ball change direction or die when hitting Haruki’s side, alternating between hard slams and delicate little slices to send the man running like a fool in all directions and unable to anticipate what Light would do next. It was a massacre to be honest, and Light wouldn’t have gone so hard on anyone else, might have let them get in a few points just to be sportsmanlike and not kill their spirit. _But not you, not after your little comments. Not after what you did to L._ While Light had barely broken a sweat, by the final point he needed to win the match, Haruki looked like a blown-out mess. 

Haruki put everything he had into his last serve but Light knew he would, it was written all over his red, angry face. So he stood well back, anticipating the fast incoming serve and slamming it back just as hard right at Haruki’s feet. The man leapt back and missed the shot, screaming in fury and throwing his racquet as the ref called the game to thunderous applause. “AND THE MATCH GOES TO YAGAMI!” 

Light chuckled to himself, wiping away the sweat that had finally accumulated on his brow as he gave a little bow to the ref and the crowd. _And now for the real show._ He called to Haruki as he approached the net, watching closely as the ref descended the iron tower, “Good game, Itō.” At first, Haruki looked like the last thing he wanted to do was go shake hands with Light, but a glassy look filled his eyes and he stumbled up to the net with his hand stiffly outstretched. Light squeezed it tightly, leaning in to whisper, “He’s not my roommate, you know. We’re _fucking._ ” He released the man’s hand, a devious, dark look on his face, “And you’re _fucked_.” 

Just then a huge gust of wind blew through the court, sending papers and hats flying, but had the most peculiar effect on the ref stand, which teetered ominously. Ryuk cackled as he flapped to the top of the fencing instead, grinning like mad at what was about to happen. 

As someone from the crowd yelled, “WATCH OUT!,” Light jumped backwards as the tower toppled and fell right on Haruki with a sickening crunch. _YES!_ The crowd gasped and screamed, and Light assumed a look of horrified surprise as his coach sprinted onto the court to grasp his arm and pull him away from the rapidly-expanding pool of blood. The next few moments were absolute chaos as campus security took over, people stampeding everywhere as Light was jostled away and offered counseling, which he politely declined. It would be a pain in the ass to give a statement to the police and to deal with all the tedious sympathy of his classmates and teachers, but he knew when he saw L again tonight at their place, it would be worth it.

\---

By the end of the match, L was grinning from ear to ear, hollering and cheering as enthusiastically as the rest of the crowd. And kicking himself internally for missing out on Light’s _spectacular_ playing for two years, because _damn_ , the man was a vision on the court. But he also couldn’t help but feel warm inside, wondering if Light had accepted the challenge partially on _his_ account… because the absolute brutality with which Light beat the other man… that seemed like a personal vendetta, and that, in _itself_ , was enough to get his blood rushing. _Are you trouncing this dick to defend my honor, Light?_

His laughter died down slightly when Haruki stumbled forward, though, because that… didn’t seem like the Haruki _he_ knew. The man was worse at losing than L had ever been, and completely unsportsmanlike, and L had been expecting the man to storm off, maybe kick something on his way out and shout obscenities at the crowd like he’d been doing throughout the match. _Hmm, well, maybe he’s finally going to turn over a new leaf._

L was just turning away, reaching into his pocket for his phone to text Light to meet him elsewhere when a gust of wind blew through the court, and smacked someone’s hat right into his face. “OW! _Fuck_!” He rubbed his forehead, scowling slightly at that minor irritation, only to immediately swing around in sudden alarm when someone yelled a warning from across the court. _What-_ All he saw as the crowd surged around him was the ref stand toppling over, and the reaction of the people around him told him something _bad_ had happened. His heart seized at that, because that could only mean- _Someone just- oh god, please let Light be okay!_ he thought, panic gripping him tight and _squeezing_ as he frantically tried to see over or around people, but there was too much chaos, too much movement blocking his view of the court as he was jostled by people, and _he couldn’t breathe._ It was all just _too much too much TOO MUCH, let me out, I can’t BE here_.

Chest tight and struggling to catch his breath, L pushed his way out of the crowd, making his way to sit shakily against a tree, pulling his knees to his chest and fingers twisting in the chain at his neck as he forced himself to take deep, slow breaths. His eyes were constantly scanning the chaos for any sign of Light, and when he _finally_ spotted the tennis coach hustling Light off towards campus, only _then_ did he relax, body sagging from the relief. _Oh thank god he’s okay._ “Fuck,” he whispered, reaching shaky fingers up to pinch at the bridge of his nose and laughing softly in disbelief, settling back against the trunk as he fumbled his smokes out of his bag. It was hitting him now that _Haruki Itō_ must have been the one under that stand. “He’s… dead.” That thought should have _horrified_ L, and he _was_ shocked. “Haruki Itō is _dead_?”

He had to know. Even if this cemented his status as ‘morbid freak’. So he stayed parked where he was, watching the court as the last of the students were herded away by security. He still hadn’t been spotted by the time the ambulance arrived a short while later and he watched numbly as the EMTs loaded a black bag on a stretcher into the back. _He really IS dead. Shit._ L knew there would be some sort of announcement made, that even now, as one of the security guards came up to him and told him to report to one of the lecture halls, there were steps being taken to minimize the damage to the morale of the student body, but… Even as he crushed the lit end of his second smoke out in the grass, standing to follow the security guard in silence and shouldering his backpack, he knew he didn’t need any lectures or counseling or whatever else. _I didn’t really SEE anything, even if it technically happened right in front of me._ In fact, all L felt was relief that his worst bully was gone. _That should worry me. I need to talk to Light, that could have been HIM._ He sent off a quick text to Light as he trailed behind the security guard, biting his nails.

**“Are you okay, Light? Please text me when you can.”**

\---

Light was in the back of Mogi’s car when he felt his phone vibrating, pulling it from his pocket. _Is L worried about me? Maybe he didn’t see._ He texted back, **“I’m fine, a little shaken but ok. I’m heading home now.”** He felt like saying he wanted to celebrate with dinner, but knew that would sound overly odd given the ‘trauma’ he’d just been through. **“Was going to order some Chinese and chill on the couch now that exams are over.”** _I should probably sound more upset._ **“And after all that...I just need to relax. I hope you aren’t upset.”**

\---

_He’s heading home? Damn, maybe I shouldn’t have been watching the court like a vulture._ L glanced at the security guard’s back, and stopped, waiting until the man had gone on ahead a little farther before surreptitiously slipping away, typing as he made his way off campus. **“I’m glad to hear that. I’m going to catch the bus back, don’t really want to stick around for the trauma speech or the counseling crap. 😕 Uhhh, campus security caught me watching the ambulance drive off just now.”** There was a bus just pulling up to the stop, and L clutched his phone, sprinting for it. 

Once he was on the bus, he slumped into a seat, pulling one knee up into his chest as he reread the other messages. **“Ummm… Yeah, Chinese sounds.. I should probably eat something, so that sounds good. And I honestly don’t know how I feel. Shocked. I didn’t see what happened, so I was scared YOU got hurt. Now I know you’re safe and he’s gone… all I feel is relief. 😕 Is… that bad?”**

\---

Light smiled down at the phone, but wiped it away when he saw Mogi’s concerned look in the rearview mirror. He’d been so swept up in seeing this plan through that he hadn’t really thought about how people would assume it would affect him. A part of him felt a _little_ sorry for that but….the rest of him just wanted to let out a long cackle in his room with Ryuk when he was alone. He couldn’t help but be touched that L had been worried something had happened to him. **“I’m sorry you were scared. I promise, I’m fine.”** _Better than fine, but I guess I’ll have to pretend otherwise._ **“No it’s not bad at all, I think that’s a normal reaction given what he did to you.”** _And he’ll never do it again, or bother you anymore._ **“Do you want us to pick you up somewhere? The bus may be slow and we’re headed to the same place.”**

\---

L chewed on his lip, face flushing a little and a tiny smile on his face as the texts popped up. He idly fingered the chain links as he thought, looking out the window. _What happened there?_ A soft sigh left him, and he turned back to his phone. **“Thank you, Light. I… I’m really glad you’re okay. If it’s cool, I’ll stop off at the cafe to pick up my paycheck, and just wait for you two. It’s coming up in two stops anyway.”** _Besides, I know Watari will be wondering why he’s not getting inundated by students, might as well let him know what’s going on._

\---

Light leaned forward and tapped Mogi on the shoulder, “Swing by the Sakura Cafe, we’re going to pick up L.” When Mogi nodded, he settled back into the soft leather seats, anxious to see L and just finally be able to spend some time with him now that exams were over. _I hope he doesn’t have to work a lot this weekend._ **“Ok, we’re pretty close to it already, be there in 10 minutes.”** He stared down at the phone, typing more and then erasing it, but finally adding it back. **“I’ve missed you this week. I’ll be glad to see you.”**

\---

**“I’ll see you in 10, then.”** L smiled at the second text, pulling the cord for his stop and hurrying off once it stopped before making his way to the cafe, sending off one last message as he reached the door. **“I’ve missed you too. Sorry I wasn’t around more.”**

_Maybe I can get tomorrow off,_ he thought, laughing a little to himself at the scowl Aiko gave him when he walked in, waving at her.

“I was _hoping_ you were a customer, L,” she said, rolling her eyes at him and slumping over the counter on her elbows, inspecting her nails. “You come in for your paycheck?”

“Yeah, is Watari around?”

She jerked her thumb towards the back. “Office. You have any idea why business suddenly died today? We’ve had no-one in since 3:30.”

L hesitated, gaze drifting to the back before looking back at her and saying quietly, “I’ll… tell you and Watari together. I doubt you’ll have much business for the rest of the day.” He slipped around the counter, knocking on Watari’s door and stepping inside when he heard the distracted ‘come in’. “Hey, Watari. Got any money for me today?”

The older man looked up with an amused smile. “I expected you would pick it up tomorrow when you came in. Why early?”

Glancing between Watari and Aiko, L’s smile faded. “Well, uh… There was a… an accident. A death, I mean, on campus after exams. I-”

“No way!” Aiko gasped, one perfectly manicured hand flying up to cover her mouth, face going red as she seemed to realize what she’d said earlier. “Oh, L, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be insensitive!”

L shook his head at her, looking at Watari, whose expression had softened to one of sympathy. “Do you need to take tomorrow off?” the man asked quietly. Pursing his lips, L just nodded, swallowing hard. “Then consider it done. I’ll get someone to cover your shift. Just let me know when you’re feeling okay to come back.”

“I will, thank you, Watari,” L said, looking down a little guiltily. _I mean, I don’t REALLY need tomorrow off, but… I still can’t believe how close Light came to getting hurt, but that’s not enough, right?_ He smiled, though, a little shaky, and reached out to take the envelope with his pay stub. “I’ll, uhh, get out of your hair, I know you’ve got stuff to do.” He retreated quickly, going to sit down at one of the tables and laying his head down in his arms as he waited for Light and Mogi to pull up. 

\---

Light pointed to the cafe as they got close, directing Mogi to pull to the curb and idle the car. “Hmm. I don’t see him. Hold on right here, and I’ll check inside.” Mogi nodded and put the car into park, taking out his reading glasses and one of his celebrity magazines to read as he waited. 

Light paused as he opened the door, giggling at Mogi’s choice of reading material, which had Hideki Ryuga in a ridiculous idol pose with starbursts all around the headline ‘ _What makes Hideki swoon?! Find out inside!_ ’ Laughing harder, “Star’s Eye? You’re still reading that trash? Really, Mogi, come on.”

Mogi peered at him over his specs, frowning at Light but the amusement was clear in his eyes. “Sir, I don’t make commentary about _your_ entertainment choices, do I?” His gaze flicked to the cafe and it was clear he thought something more than _roommates_ was going on there.

Light flushed, clearing his throat as he nodded quickly, “Ah, enough said. Enjoy your magazine.” _Good thing I’d trust Mogi with my life._ He got out of the car and walked briskly into the cafe, noticing right away it was completely empty but for the workers and a single customer with their head on the table. _Huh? That’s no customer, it’s L._ He approached and carefully touched L’s shoulder, brow furrowed in concern. “L? Are you ok? We’re outside if you’re ready to go now.”

L raised his head, a tiny smile on his face at the soft touch. “Hi.” He grabbed his bag and stood up, waving a brief ‘goodbye’ to Aiko before shrugging, following Light out of the cafe. “Yeah, I’m okay, just thinking. I just want to go home, though, you know?” He fell silent for a moment as they got in the car, and once they were both safely in, he offered Light a softer, more genuine smile. “I’m _really_ glad you’re okay, in case I didn’t say it enough. And watching you _trounce_ Itō before all of the, ahh, _chaos_ started? Well…”

His gaze flickered meaningfully to Mogi, and he left it at that, despite wanting to say something along the lines of, ‘ _it got me hot_ ’. _That will have to wait until we’re alone._ Biting his lip, L instead said to the man, “Hey Mogi. How have you been? Thanks for coming back for me.” His eyes slid down, caught by the picture of Hideki Ryuga, and he leaned forward curiously. “Whatcha reading?” 

Light caught the flicker of _something_ in L’s eye as he talked about watching the match and was dying to ask him what he thought, but held his tongue given they weren’t alone. He smiled and put his hand on L’s for a moment, hoping that Mogi was too engrossed in his celeb rag to notice, but pulled it back with a snort when L asked about his literature. 

“Afternoon, sir. Good to see you again.” Mogi tossed his magazine into the front seat and started driving, giving them a smile in the mirror. “Hmm, you mean my gossip magazines? Well, it’s just nice to turn my brain off for a little while but….” He coughed politely, not really used to talking about himself. “...my daughter is the publicist for Hideki Ryuga, so she sends me free magazines all the time to show me what she’s up to.”

Light goggled at that, staring open-mouthed at Mogi. “W-what?! You never told me that before!”

Mogi grinned a little mischievously, “You never asked, sir.”

Light laughed, because that was _true_ , and he exchanged a look with L. “I mean, how was I supposed to know to ask THAT? You told me your daughter lived in Shibuya and was a photography major!”

Mogi nodded, “Yes, and she got a real job a few months ago. Graduated last semester from Tokyo University. Got her own apartment, a girlfriend, a _dog_. Like she doesn’t even need her old man anymore.” He was joking obviously, the pride he felt was shining in his voice. 

“No _way_!” L’s open mouthed expression rapidly morphed into a grin, especially seeing how Mogi was _teasing_ Light. “That’s so awesome!” He glanced over, catching Light’s gaze and giggling, unable to keep the smugness out of his expression at being the one to get _that_ tidbit out of Mogi. He honestly hadn’t really expected the man to say much about it, but it was cool to hear a little about his life outside of driving for Light. _Well, and me, too, now, I guess._ Listening to the man gush about his daughter and all of her success was cheering him up a lot, too.

Mogi held onto the wheel with one hand, pulling out his billfold and opening it to a picture slotted into a clear plastic space. “That’s my Mina. And Natasha, her girlfriend.” The picture showed a happy-looking, tall young Japanese woman in her graduation cap and gown, standing next to a beaming Mogi and holding hands with a shorter, brown-hair woman about the same age. 

Light took the billfold and held it between him and L, grinning down at it. _Mogi’s daughter has a girlfriend, and she’s out? And Mogi obviously doesn’t care, he’s so proud of her._ “Wow, Mogi. Congratulations on all her success, I’m really happy for her and you.” There was a twinge of awe in his voice, but he also felt a little jealous. He wished he could believe his own family would be so accepting, and knew they wouldn’t be. 

L scooted closer to Light as he peered down at the picture. “She looks so happy,” he remarked with a smile, wondering what it might be like to be able to have a relationship like that. The picture perfect moment, standing in between his mom and Light, both decked out in their graduation gear, able to be open and hold hands for a picture. _Maybe it will happen. That’s only seven months away, but a lot can happen in seven months._ His smile faltered a little when he noticed Light’s mood dimming out of the corner of his eye, and he added, “Thanks for telling us about her, I think that’s amazing.”

Light deflated a little as he handed the picture back to Mogi, turning the conversation to more trivial matters for the rest of the trip and avoiding the subject of the ‘accident’ until he could be alone with L.

The small talk that took over the rest of the ride made L slightly antsy, but he managed, calling out a goodbye to Mogi when the man dropped them off, making his way into the building. “So Light,” he started conversationally as he pressed the button for the elevator, giving the younger man a look, trying and failing to hold back a smile. “Why didn’t you _tell_ me on Sunday that you’re captain of the tennis team?” 

Light leaned against the elevator wall, a little smile playing on his lips. _Guess I’ll take a tact from Mogi’s book-- or gossip rag._ “You never asked.” He giggled, stepping out to open his apartment door when the elevator arrived. 

L snorted at that. _Come on, I was trying to see if you played any sports before I told you his name, but you didn’t bite._ Laughter in his voice, he asked, “So you’re saying I should have just asked outright if you played any sports?” Pausing, he giggled, adding, “Or maybe I should have just asked which sports team you knew Itō from.”

Light shrugged at L’s teasing, laughing softly, “I wasn’t being _deliberately_ obtuse. Well...maybe a little. But I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea that I hung out with the guy because we were teammates.” 

“I could tell you didn’t like him, it’s fine.” L met Light’s eyes and smirked at Light’s admission to being ‘obtuse’, because he’d already figured _that_ out. _Doesn’t bother me._ He laughed. “You know, I’m slightly mad that you didn’t tell me about the match. I had to hear it from classmates before my exam today, and even though I’m _pretty_ sure I still aced it, I was _so_ distracted.” 

Light laughed at being called out over the secret match, “I wanted it to be a surprise. I figured you’d hear about it eventually given what a loudmouth he was. Oops, I shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, should I?” He smirked a little at that, looking away and trying not to appear like he gloating. “Sorry you were distracted from your exams though.” 

It felt phenomenal to be home, for all their exams to be over, to have an entire week off to relax before the next semester started up again. It was hard for Light to pretend to be in a dampened mood due to the accident when all he really felt was triumph and relief, and he had to stop himself from humming as he dumped his backpack in his room and went to get a beer from the kitchen. “Want a beer? I got some new kinds you might like.” He pulled a larger beer bottle out, definitely big enough for the two of them to share. “Have you ever had a lambic beer before? This one tastes like cherries. It’s delicious.” 

As he rejoined Light in the kitchen after dropping his backpack off, L blinked in surprise at the comment about new beers. “Yeah… yeah, sure, that sounds really good, I’m always open to trying new things.” And it _did_ feel good to be free for the next four days. _Ooh, and maybe I can test out that oven tomorrow night._ He’d been wanting to cook for Light all week, but they’d both been so busy, and he only knew how to cook a _few_ nice meals, so that had sort of fallen by the wayside.

Light set the bottle on the counter, wanting to get a shower but figuring he could have one drink with L before that. “I know I’m a sweaty mess, sorry about that. I’ll jump in the shower in a minute, but…” _I wanted to celebrate being rid of that bully._ “...I think we deserve a drink now that exams are over, yes?” 

L smiled as he watched Light bustle around the kitchen, and said softly, “You being sweaty doesn’t bother me, Light.” Biting his lip, he looked him over, smile turning a little more sly as he admitted, “You, uh… look really good, actually. And watching you play was…” He huffed out a breath, and reached up to fan himself, grinning. “Oof. I would love to watch you play again, because you looked like a _god_ out there.” _Actually, I would love to play against you, but I’m very out of practice._

Light smiled at L when the man said he didn’t mind him sweaty, tilting his head and slightly surprised. “Oh really?” But his surprise melted into pure arousal at L’s next words, his mouth twisting as he felt blood rushing south. _Oh fuck…_ He turned slightly to face the counter, trying to hide the erection forming in his loose sports shorts. He pulled out some beer glasses and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning from the praise. _A god..._ He couldn’t help but probe a little into L’s thoughts, “So...do you play tennis then?”

L’s eyebrows arched at that question, and he took the glass Light offered him, taking a sip and looking down at the beer in surprise. “Oh damn, this _is_ delicious!” Taking another sip, L savored the flavor for a long moment before finally saying, “I took up playing when I moved here, yeah. Played right up until I got into To-Oh, and I was debating on trying out for the team, but… It took me a little while to get my bearings because my previous school didn’t forward any of my, uh… learning requirements to the school board.” He had almost said ‘special needs’, but even here in Japan, there was a connotation to that phrase that made him uncomfortable. “So I had to readjust all over again, and by the time I figured my shit out, it was already halfway through the school year. I _did_ enjoy going to the matches, though. I was going to try out my second year, but then Itō happened, and I decided… it wasn’t worth it to even go to matches anymore if _he_ was going to be there.”

Light was slightly breathless and still reeling from L’s prior comment, “We have the next few days off classes, I’d be happy to play a game or two with you if you wanted to. In fact, I’d really like that.” _And then fuck you all sweaty in the locker room._

_Did I say something you liked?_ L wondered to himself, heart pounding hard as he pretended to mull that offer over. “I have the next four days off work, I think I can pencil you in somewhere for a couple games of tennis,” he finally said, eyes dancing hopefully. “Though I hope you _don’t_ go that hard on me, I also hope you won’t go _easy_ on me. I’d love to dust off my skills.” 

Light laughed, holding up a palm, “Don’t worry, I don’t usually go _that_ hard like today, I just….” He smirked behind his glass, recalling the last words he’d whispered to Itō just before… “It wasn’t _just_ you he’d done shitty things to you know, although somehow he was always able to cover his ass. He was the one that leaked all those pictures of Kiyomi last year.” It had been a huge scandal; the pictures came from a camera hidden in Kiyomi’s dorm room, and Light knew for a fact that Haruki’s father had bribed officials at To-Oh to forget about it. Even though things hadn’t worked out between him and Kiyomi (for obvious reasons), Light had always admired how she’s handled that incident with grace and poise. 

L shut up when Light continued, mouth slowly falling open when Light told him about Kiyomi. “Oh shit, that was _him_ who did that? How in the world did he get away with it?!” Shaking his head, he took a sip of his beer, muttering, “I always admired her for the way she handled that. Wish I could have handled my own situation a little better, honestly.” The cheating thing did not surprise him at _all_ , unfortunately, that seemed like small potatoes next to finding out the guy had sexually harassed multiple people, but still… 

Light let out a long breath, considering how much to say but going on anyway, “After he challenged me, all I could think about was how he’d treated you, Kiyomi, the team, _everyone_. I nearly had to kick him off the tennis team several times for cheating, even against his team mates. And I finally had a chance to trounce him like I’d always wanted to. Yeah, so....forgive me if I’m not crying a river for him right now.” He met L’s eyes and the look on Light’s face was much more ‘I’m glad he’s dead’ vs. ‘I don’t feel particularly sad.’ He sipped his beer and smiled, “I hoped you’d be there to see it.”

Another swallow drained his glass, and L took it over to the sink, unsure if he was going to want more beer yet, then turned back to Light. “I wasn’t going to miss it for the _world_. I knew- well, okay, I _suspected_ you accepted partially because of me.” The implications of that look stirred something in him, though he wasn’t quite sure if it was merely arousal, or if there was something else under the heat that was spreading through him. _Vengeful Light is ridiculously hot. Yeah, I might should be worried about thinking that way._ It was difficult to feel bad about it, though, when Light was leaning into his space.

Light leaned closer to whisper to L, “Would you be less mad about my little deception if I told you I _did_ accept because of you?” Haruki had challenged him like this plenty in the past and all Light had done was just play a normal match, but this time felt different, it was the last straw.

_Yes, I knew it!_ L couldn’t hold back the smile that split his face when Light confirmed his suspicions. Light’s proximity was making his heart pound and he finally just nodded, saying with a giggle, “Okaaaay, you’re forgiven.” _I wasn’t THAT mad anyway._

Light tossed back the last sip, feeling much more refreshed but needing to shower. “Ok, let me wash up and then it’s Chinese food and indulgent television.” He dug in the menu drawer for the one for Din Tai, putting it on the counter. “There’s the menu if you want to check it out..” 

L came back to where Light was, reaching for the menu as he laughingly said, “Yes yes, go shower, I’ll figure out what I want.” 

Light headed out of the kitchen but paused, leaning to kiss L on the cheek. Softly, “Thank you for worrying about me today. I _am_ sorry I scared you.” He blushed and hurried to the shower, needing to take care of himself in private after that _god_ comment. 

That soft kiss on his cheek made L blush, and he turned his head to look at Light with shining eyes and surprise on his face. He really didn’t know what to say to that, so in all honesty, L was grateful when Light hurried off, looking down at the menu again with a small smile on his face. “It’s fine,” he whispered, fingers idly toying with the edges of the menu and slumping against the counter. Being able to talk about other things in the car, and then talking with Light just now had done a _lot_ to improve his appetite, and the options from this particular restaurant sounded quite good. _I don’t even know what to choose._

\---

Once inside his bathroom, Light could finally grin as widely as he’d been _needing_ to, having to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing before he could get some music on to cover it up. He queued up some song on his phone, starting with ‘What Goes Around Comes Around,’ shucking off his clothes as he started singing softly and dancing a little in front of the mirror. 

That was, until Ryuk poked his head right through the mirror with a big cheshire cat grin on his face, making Light jump back in surprise. “Heh, pretty good show today Light-o. Squished him like a grape! SPLAT!” The shinigami cackled and flapped into the room, twirling a long-clawed finger to the music and making Light devolve to side-splitting giggles. “Did lover boy like your little present?” The shinigami started warbling terribly off-key as he twirled in place, “‘What goes around goes around goes around comes all the way back around…’”

“Shhhh!! Staaaap!” Light gasped as he tried to catch his breath, tears coming to his eyes at his shinigami’s dumb antics and terrible singing. He hissed to Ryuk but could barely stop giggling, he’d been looking forward to this all day, “You’re going to make me lose it and he’s _right_ out there!” Light blinked and rolled his eyes as Ryuk’s dancing and singing only escalated at that, quickly getting into the shower and leaning against the smooth marble to let all his laughter out. “It was pretty good, wasn’t it? Did you see him stumbling up to the net at the end with his hand stuck out like that?! The look on his face when I told him he was _fucked_?” His hand slid down the wall, clenching into a fist around his cock as that feeling of power and the memory of L’s ‘god’ comment made him throb. He laughed once more before turning and whispering, “Scram,” as ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ came on next and he jerked his chin as Ryuk waved and phased through the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Justin Timberlake [song](https://youtu.be/IC8qPpnD0uE/) and Taylor Swift [song](https://youtu.be/-ZhjiihNfw4/) (which was made into an AMV)
> 
> \- [Menu](https://trulytokyo.com/din-tai-fung/) for Din Tai, a really yummy place.
> 
> \- [Cherry lambic beer](https://merchantduvin.com/brew-lindemans-kriek-lambic.php) Light and L were drinking (it's delicious!)


	8. The Red Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light and L unwind after the ill-fated tennis match with a movie, and they get sidetracked in a couple of ways.

Even though he had been feeling better, now that L was left on his own, he found himself tensing up again. _Did that all… really happen?_ It was a little hard to believe, what with Light’s nonchalance and the absolutely _savage_ music he had going in the bathroom, but that meltdown L had experienced had been _real_. He retreated to his bedroom, tossing the menu onto his bed and grabbing his smokes, hesitating only a moment before going to crack a window. _Just this once._ He curled up in a chair by the window and lit a cigarette, taking a long drag as he closed his eyes and concentrated on just _breathing_. He was just lighting up a second smoke when Taylor Swift came on, and he sent a look towards the wall, snorting. “What does that even mean,” he mumbled, finding the song choice incongruous and curious before shaking his head at himself. _It doesn’t mean anything except that he’s not upset, don’t read into it._

Finally, L stood up, stretching and shucking his sweaty clothes off into the hamper on his way into his bathroom. Five minutes later, he was out of the shower, water dripping from his hair as he pulled on his favourite black jeans and a comfy sweatshirt before sitting down on his bed to look over the menu again, bobbing his head along idly to the music still playing from Light’s bathroom. Grabbing a notepad, he quickly jotted down what he wanted before grabbing his phone and padding out barefoot into the main room, lost in thought.

It felt strange to not have any responsibilities for the next few days, and he was still feeling a bit restless. _Usually_ when he felt like this, he ended up going to his favourite club in Shinjuku, but after the day he’d had… well, he _really_ just wanted to stay in and spend some time with Light. _I really could have lost him today, and I wasted this week by barely seeing him._

\----

Light stayed in the shower quite a bit longer than he’d intended to, but he needed a good ‘session’ to get out all of his tension from the week (not to mention time to compose himself into something resembling normalcy even if he couldn’t manage somberness). After he got dressed into a soft grey cashmere sweater and some black pants, he wandered back into the kitchen to see if L had picked anything from the menu yet. “Anything on there look good?” He ran a hand through his still-damp hair, aware that he was probably still flushed from the orgasm, at least his heart rate hadn’t quite normalized yet. “I’m absolutely ravenous.” He leaned against the counter, pulling out his phone to make the call for takeout if L was ready. _Hope he didn’t hear me in there. Probably should have put on some different songs even if I’m not exactly pretending to be ‘sad.’ Oh well._

\---

_What is taking him so long, holy CRAP_ , L thought, slumping over the table with his head propped in his hand, idly thumbing through Instagram for what felt like the hundredth time and eyeing the battery life indicator. _I need to plug in my phone_ . “Come on, I’m _huuuungryyyyy_ ,” he called irritably towards the bathroom door, not even looking up from his phone and hoping that would somehow _magically_ hurry Light along. Not even a minute later, the door opened and Light walked out, and L sat up straight, a guilty expression on his face as he thought, _oh shit, I hope he didn’t hear that._ “Uhhhh, yup!” _Oh fuck, he looks really nice for just ‘chilling on the couch’._ He stood up and came over to the counter where Light was, placing the menu and the notepad down in front of him and eyeing Light. 

Light was in too good a mood to be sheepish about how long he took showering and getting dressed, but he still noticed the sour pout on L’s face when he came out. The expression changed quickly enough as he felt L’s eyes roving over him. He smiled as he traced a finger down the menu until he found what he wanted. Idly, “Sorry I took so long. Sore muscles and all from the match. The shower really helped.” _Pfft. Not really. Barely broke a sweat until the end._

Arching an eyebrow, L bit his lip to hide his smirk. He suspected it hadn’t _only_ been sore muscles that had lengthened that shower, but who was _he_ to judge? “I’m glad, sore muscles are not fun to deal with.” _At least after the fact, at the time they’re a lot of fun._

“Hmm, I think I’ll get the Mushroom buns, the Squash and Shrimp xiaolongbao, and for dessert... the chocolate xiaolongbao.” Light had a weakness for chocolate desserts and rarely turned down the chance to have one even if he wasn’t a huge lover of sweets. “We could share if you--” He stopped as he read over what L’s order on the notepad, noticing he’d gotten his own dessert. “Oh, nevermind. Well, you can still try some of mine if you’re curious. It’s really decadent.” 

L giggled and leaned against the counter, half in Light’s space as he said, “I almost wanted to get that, but I don’t always feel like eating a lot of chocolate. You can have some of mine, too, if you like taro.” Pausing, his voice took on a teasing lilt, “Besides, I’m really hungry now. I wonder why that is?”

Light blushed slightly at all the teasing about how long he took in the shower, and hurriedly dialed the restaurant, holding the phone at his shoulder as he went back to the fridge for more beer. “Yes, delivery please. Mmhmm, I’ll hold.” He rolled his eyes at the lame elevator music on the other line, pouring them both more lambic beer in the process and holding a glass out to L. When the waitress came back he put in his order and L’s (bamboo salad, shrimp fried rice, and taro xiaolongbao for dessert), and called out his credit card over the phone so he could just snatch the food right away when it came. 

_Ooh, yes!_ L’s expression lit up when Light poured them some more beer, and he eagerly took the glass as Light made the order, giggling loudly when Light just gave away his info like that. _You MUST be hungry._

Hanging up, Light gave L a faux-stern look, “Uh oh. You’re not going to steal my identity and charge up my card are you? Kidding, kidding.” He grinned and elbowed L in the side, walking to the couch and lounging on it. He reached to pick up the remote and called over his shoulder, “Food will be here in 20 minutes by the way.” His stomach rumbled at that, and he wished that maybe he’d been a little quicker in the shower after all. _Nah._

“Whaaaat? Whyever would I do _that_ ?” Snickering, L tried to dodge the elbow, and followed Light, quipping, “How _else_ am I going to be able to afford my makeup addiction?” _Pfft, it’s not THAT extensive a collection._ “Kidding!” 

Light gave L an incredulous look, “Addiction? How much makeup do you have?” 

“Not that…” L trailed off, and after a long moment, he started giggling loudly. “Oh shit, maybe I _do_ have a makeup addiction, I have… a _lot_ .” He laughed even louder and grinned, cheeks flushing as he curled up beside Light on the couch, tucking his legs underneath him and sipping his beer, eyeing Light appreciatively. “By the way, I... _really_ like that sweater, Light.” _But damn, I always feel like a slob._

“Thanks, I like your shirt too.” Light grinned at the sweatshirt L was wearing. “No eyeliner today though.” He stared dramatically into L’s eyes, “Will you wear some for me sometime?” 

L rolled his eyes and smirked, asking casually, “Got a color preference?” 

Light laughed, “My preference is mostly just black, but I think…” He tilted his head and considered, “...blue would look great on you too with your dark hair and pale skin.” 

_Blue, huh?_ Clearing his throat, L ducked his head, saying sheepishly, “You’re in luck, then, I sorta have an entire makeup bag full of eyeliner pencils in, like, _every_ color. Blue is quite prominent.” _It might be a problem._ “Honestly, I tend to only wear eyeliner and sometimes lipstick, I don’t really fuck around with any of that glam stuff.”

“If I sneak out to a club I don’t want to look like myself, but I’m not trying to look like a firework.” Light shrugged, the secret was out but since they lived together now, L would find out sooner or later. That or Mogi would ‘let it slip.’ _L seems to have a talent for getting him chatty._ “I’ll show you later. I’m less into funky colors than just dramatic eyes.” 

L grinned and nodded, not bothered in the slightest be their completely contrasting styles. “That’s cool! I’ve got a bunch of vampy lipsticks lying around- wait, _sneak?_ ” L’s jaw dropped, and he shook his head. “Which clubs do you have to _sneak_ to?” _Gay bars? Ooh, I wonder if he’s ever gone to Campy, their drag shows are amazing. Or Dragon Men, I LOVE that club._ Hopefully, “I like hitting up Gold Finger every now and then for their karaoke, if I’m not working Friday nights…” 

Light gave L a shifty smile, “I go to regular clubs with my friends...people I know from school. And uh, Gold Finger when I feel like slipping off alone. I haven’t been very often, though. I went to Campy once last summer too.” It had only been a handful of times that he’d felt brave enough to go to any of the gay bars over the past couple of years, and while he’d always had a good time, the end of the nights were always disappointing. Plenty of eye candy but no one who really grabbed his attention, men who just wanted to screw him or look at a pretty face versus talk to him. It would be nice to go with someone he was _actually_ interested in, like L.

It was a near thing, but L _just_ managed to not squirm around happily at that confirmation that Light liked his two favourite gay bars. “Yeah, I went to some of the regular clubs at first, but too many of our classmates go to the most popular ones. Campy is _amazing_ , I love the queens that perform there.” _And they let random people dance on the stage in between official performances, so I get to show off my passable dance moves without worrying about being judged by anyone I know._

Talking about lipstick only reminded Light of something he’d been meaning to ask L about. He coughed quietly, trying to hide his giggle, “By the way. It seems an entire load of my white t-shirts suddenly turned pink in the washer.” _Errant lipstick perhaps?_ He turned to give L a shit-eating grin, “Now you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

L was just taking another sip of beer and nearly choked, coughing for a moment and pointedly avoiding Light’s gaze as he croaked out, “What? I have no recollection of this.” _Noooo, I was hoping he wouldn’t bring that up._ “They weren’t pink before?” L tried to keep a straight face at that, but one peek at Light’s expression had him devolving into giggles, face bright red. “Sorry! I forgot I had candy in my pocket, it won’t happen again!” 

“Ah, so that would explain why my clothes were salmon-colored and cherry-scented.” Light gave L a smile to let him know he wasn’t actually mad, it was no big loss, anything he really liked he sent for dry cleaning anyway. But now he wanted to tease L in another way. “They were just old t-shirts I sleep in sometimes, but mostly I sleep naked so that doesn’t really matter.” 

L stared at Light for a long moment after he let slip _that_ little tidbit, the heat in his face flaring even more now, and he knocked back the rest of his beer as he turned away. _Fuck._ His pants were getting uncomfortably tight, and his choice to sit in such close proximity to Light on the couch was now backfiring on him. Because Light smelled amazing, and L had been too exhausted all week to get off, and now all he was picturing was Light sprawled across that big bed wearing not a stitch of clothing. _FUCK. He did that on purpose, not fair._

Light caught L’s eye just a moment before flicking through the channels nonchalantly. There was still so much unspoken tension between them, so much they hadn’t really talked about what happened last weekend. Most of that was that they’d just been two ships passing each other all week, but Light also wanted to be careful not to overstep any boundaries. He hadn’t heard L through the wall at night either, and figured it might have just been because of tiredness or busyness, but could be a signal L wasn’t interested in ‘baiting’ him anymore. “So anyway, what would you like to watch?” 

L shot another quick glance at Light, trying not to pout. _You can’t just say something like that and leave me hanging, Light._ Though, he supposed he had been doing the same thing to _Light_ the week before, so... “Mmm, I’m not sure. A little torn between wanting to watch something fun and silly or wanting to watch Red Dragon. But I just did a rewatch last year when I used it for a project.” He smiled a little to himself at remembering that; after giving him his grade, the professor had thanked him for introducing her to a movie she’d ‘thoroughly enjoyed’, which was a win in his books. “I’m always up to watch it again, though, if you want.”

Light’s eyes lit up, Red Dragon was one of his favorite movies too and he hadn’t seen it in awhile. “Well, my vote’s for the serial killer movie, I haven’t seen Red Dragon in ages.” Plus he was slightly worried that if they watched something silly, he’d just start laughing again thinking about things that _really_ shouldn’t be funny to him. 

_Yes!_ L did a little fist pump, grinning into his glass. “ _Awesome._ That’s my favourite movie.” 

“What kind of school project did you use it for?” Light scanned the on-demand movies until he found it, queuing it up. “I could see how it might be a good fictional case study for someone in your field of interest.” 

L turned to Light again, a pleased expression on his face. “Actually… it was for my Abnormal Psych course, the assignment was to take either a real, historical serial killer case, or a fictional one, and make the argument for whether nature or nurture played more of a role in their criminal behavior.” He snorted. “Obviously, I chose Dolarhyde, the Red Dragon himself. My professor told me she enjoyed my essay so much that she went and watched the movie after marking it.”

L’s project sounded fascinating and Light was about to ask more about it when the doorbell rang. “Finally.” He jumped off the couch and sprinted to the door, barely saying two words of thanks before scribbling a generous tip and snatching the food. He brought the bags over to the coffee table and peeked inside, “Oh good, they remembered chopsticks this time.” He handed L a pair of them and scooted one of the bags his way, reaching into his and pulling out the various dishes, starting in on the buns right away. 

L was grateful when Light jumped up to grab the door, because it gave him a chance to take a breath, and when Light returned, he immediately went for his rice, settling back comfortably and stuffing some in his mouth. _Do they usually forget?_ “This is really good!” he said through a mouthful of rice.

Light didn’t really like to talk with his mouth full so he waited until he’d downed several before asking, “How’d your exams go by the way? I guess you’ll be stuck with me in Professor Aizawa’s classes next semester if you plan on taking either ‘Global Legal Systems’ and ‘Deterrents and the Law.’ He’s a shitty teacher, I’ll warn you, but the material is interesting in its own right and not _all_ the books he assigns are complete tripe.”

L had _demolished_ his bamboo salad by the time Light spoke again, and he picked his partially eaten rice back up, spearing a piece of shrimp with his chopsticks before answering. “I _do_ have both of those classes. _And_ Forensic Psychology. He’s not teaching _that_ one too, is he?” _If he is, I’m going to pick up one more arts class just to give me something a little less heavy to study._ “And, my exams were fine. I only had the one today, thank goodness, but I had _two_ on Monday that nearly killed me.” Shuddering, he added sourly around another mouthful of rice, “They scheduled Maladaptive Behavior _and_ Childhood Psych in one day, they were at opposite sides of campus, and on top of _that?_ Childhood Psych started very shortly after the first one finished, so I legit had to _run_ the whole way to get to my second exam on time, and I was still sore as _hell_ from, uhhh… Saturday night.” A grin spread across his face. “Maybe I should have taken a _really long shower_ for my soreness, hmm, Mr. I-take-45-minute-showers?”

Light cocked an eyebrow over his chopsticks at L’s insistence on teasing him. _He’s awfully concerned about what I was doing in there._ He slid the chopsticks from between his lips, smirking as he carefully chose the next bite. “You know, if you keep teasing me about how long I took in the shower, I’m going to think you’re jealous you weren’t there.” He picked up a dumpling and dunked it into the sauce, giving L a faux-serious face. “But _that_ can’t be right, can it?” He held L’s gaze and licked a bit of the sauce off, sucking it from the dumpling. 

L gave Light a startled look, blushing and giggling before stuffing more rice in his face so he wouldn’t have to answer that. He’d hit the nail right on the head, because _damn_ , did L wish that he’d knocked on the door and asked to join him. _I should have! I basically told him before he left that I thought he looked hot on the court today, what was I even THINKING?_

Light lowered his voice but not his eyes, “And you’re one to talk, although you’ve been much quieter this week. Maybe you don’t like me anymore, hmm?” He laughed quietly and popped the dumpling into his mouth, chewing as he leaned back and tossed the chopsticks onto his plate. He needed a moment before he ate any dessert, plus he was having a little fun watching L squirm just now. 

Hearing that Light thought he didn’t _like_ him anymore actually hurt a little, and L stared down at his food for a long moment before swallowing his mouthful and slowly setting the dish on the coffee table, instead picking up his beer and cradling it in his hands. _Fuck._ Softly, “Between double shifts at work, exams and studying… I haven’t had the _energy_ to do anything since Sunday night.” _I’ll just have to show him I DO still like him, I guess._

Light changed the subject but hoped L was having as many filthy thoughts right now as he was. “Anyway, no, Aizawa is not teaching Forensic Psych, but he does do guest lectures. Count yourself lucky you only have to hear him ramble a couple of times in that class. I took it last year and he made a big stink about having Deneuve do a call-in, talked it up for months, and then on the day of? Yeah...didn’t happen, pfft. I bet the guy doesn’t even know who Aizawa is.” _Although they’d probably get along grand, both being frauds._

L cast a sidelong look at Light, gaze lingering on his mouth as he listened to him explain Aizawa’s role in the course. “Ugh. At least I don’t have him for my entire last semester here, that would be a _nightmare._ ”

Light frowned as he grumbled, “Wonder if he’ll pull the same shit this year. He told me that Deneuve agreed to write the forward to his atrocious book on the Kira case. Fat chance.” It was the very book that Aizawa kept making Light edit and review, which was highly ironic of course given _who_ Light really was. _Kira editing your damned shitty book full of confabulations and crackpot theories. Ha!_ Light had been sure to include some extra theories for Aizawa to mull over, like Kira was really an alien trying to make contact with Earth, or a conspiracy of INTERPOL, an internet hoax, or perhaps even a bored college student. The last theory had been dismissed out of hand, but Aizawa was quite fixated on the alien one.

He leaned forward and popped open the dessert box, the sweet smell of chocolate rising from the little steamed buns. “Oh wow, and they gave me caramel dipping sauce too. I don’t usually get this but I figured I’ve worked off some calories lately.” _More last weekend than today. Mainly I just wanted a nice reward for getting my way._ He picked one up and dipped it in the caramel, eyes closing as he hummed with the delicious taste. Smiling at L, “Taro sounds boring as hell.” Giggling, he figured the beer was finally taking an effect and his filter was vanishing. “Sorry, but it does. Feel free to try this though. Damn.”

Draining his glass, L got up from the couch as Light was opening his dessert box, and paused, swaying slightly. _Worked off some calories, huh?_ The expression on Light’s face was sending dirty thoughts racing through his head, and he had to clear his throat before saying in a somewhat breathless voice, “Uhhh… sure. But I’m getting more beer first, you want any more?” L wanted to try that caramel sauce, alright. _But not on dessert._ Tearing his gaze away from Light, he reached down for the other man’s beer glass, hovering over it with a questioning, “Hmm?” 

“Sure, I’ll have some more, but…” Light noticed L’s unsteadiness and pointed with his chopsticks, which was usually an impolite thing to do but he wasn’t really thinking, “...have you had too much? I don’t want you to overdo it just to keep up with me.” He had some weight on L, and Light had been drinking heavily lately, his tolerance had gotten quite high. Light’s words weren’t completely genuine either--- although he did have a slight concern, he was also interested to see what L was like when he was tipsy. 

L waved his concern away, giving him a small smile. “I’m fine. Stood up too fast, is all.” _Well…_ He watched Light nibble for another moment before he had to clear his throat, picking up Light’s glass and walking to the kitchen. _And watching you eat like that is kind of hot for some reason._

Light smiled, watching L’s behind as he walked away, murmuring, “If you say so.” _Was he checking me out just now or do I have something on my face again?_ L was an adult and could do as he pleased, and he focused back on his chocolate and the movie. “I’m interested to hear what you decided on about the Red Dragon in your essay. I always thought the worst thing he did was destroy that beautiful William Blake sketch.” He was joking of course, that was far from the worst, but it _was_ a shame. He held up a dumpling covered in caramel, shaking his head, “Did he really have to eat it?” He brought the dumpling to his mouth, nibbling a bit and dipping it in even more sauce. 

As L poured, he considered Light’s question, giggling to himself. “Yeah, that was definitely... an odd thing for him to do. But then, it was part of his delusions, that he felt he _had_ to destroy it. Like a compulsion.” That particular movie event hadn’t exactly been something he’d focused much on, but he _had_ touched on it slightly. “And, I mean, that _is_ how they get Dolarhyde’s description, from the museum employees he assaulted.”

He set Light’s glass down on the coffee table when he returned, curling up on the couch beside Light, close enough to feel the man’s warmth against his side as he eyed the little dumplings. Softly, “Can I still…” He glanced up at Light with a hopeful smile, reaching for one of them and half expecting Light to smack his fingers and insist he use the chopsticks. 

Light’s eyes slid to the side when L settled beside him, but he didn’t move away. “Thanks.” He picked up his beer and sipped it, nodding when L asked for a bite of his dessert. “Feel free. No way will I be able to eat them all. I think I slightly overestimated how much I could fit in my stomach, or just underestimated how much food they planned to send.” He didn’t stop L reaching with his fingers, and only said with a laugh, “I don’t mind cooking and doing the laundry, but if you make a big mess with that sticky caramel, _you’re_ cleaning it up.”

“What, are you implying that I don’t normally clean up my messes?” Plucking up a dumpling between his fingertips, L dunked it in the caramel and brought it to his mouth, licking at the drip that was threatening to fall before popping it into his mouth and chewing. His eyes widened at the flavor, a soft, pleased sound escaping him, swallowing his mouthful before murmuring, “Oh, those _are_ delicious, damn.”

Light turned back quickly to the movie, pretending innocence and hoping that L hadn’t caught his rising blush from those licks at the caramel. “So Dolarhyde ate the sketch as part of his delusion...and what do you think _that_ was?” Light--or more precisely, _Kira--_ had always been more focused on _real_ murderers than fictional ones, and more on the effects of behavior versus events and states of mind leading up to them. But he was starting to get more interested in it now. _Especially because I get to pick L’s brain about something we ultimately have a common interest in._

L glanced at him, a pleased smile spreading across his face at Light’s questions. Most people would have said he was grumpy and rude, in general, and they weren’t _wrong_ … but he _loved_ talking about what he was studying. _Oh man, now to figure out how to phrase this._ He especially enjoyed analyzing his favourite media to see what actually _fit_ and to identify his own weaknesses in understanding the course material. “Okay, before I say _anything_ else, most of this was speculation on my part, and purely an intellectual exercise for the paper.”

He chewed on his lip as he thought about it, because that wasn’t _really_ an answer to Light’s actual question. “So… I personally believe that the Red Dragon was a _persona_ he either chose for himself or deluded himself into thinking he was _chosen_ for… and the murders he committed were his way of fully _embodying_ that persona. He was trying to shed what he saw as weaknesses, trying to permanently _become_ the Dragon, because he saw it as something more powerful, stronger, and more worthy of _awe_ and _respect_.” He reached for another dumpling, dipping it in caramel and popping it into his mouth, sucking the sticky sauce off his fingers before announcing, “I personally think he had more of a god complex than anything else.”

Light listened closely, thinking back to his own scant psych courses. It was a fun theoretical exercise to think about a fictional murderer’s motives in the abstract. Plus, it gave him a little thrill to see L’s intelligence on display in this play analysis for his benefit. “Fascinating. So, a god complex born of his human insecurities and imperfections, rather than grounded in perceived superiority? I guess it makes for good drama that he felt he needed to murder people due to that. Place mirrors in his victims’ eyes so they would only ‘see’ him, and in the state he felt most powerful. It erased or compensated for how he felt he was seen every day in the eyes of others.”

He reached for his beer, taking a few sips as he watched the screen thoughtfully. “I agree Dolarhyde voluntarily chose the persona of Red Dragon, at least at first, as a coping mechanism for his perceived inferiority. His deformed face, his stuttering, his meekness as a child all made him the target of various bullies, and he must have internalized that. Red Dragon was everything he thought he wasn’t or couldn’t be--- powerful, beautiful, deadly. It represented safety and vengeance against those he thought betrayed him, belittled him.” 

But Light had thought Dolarhyde would realize on some level what needs that preferred persona fulfilled, even amidst his delusions. How it uniquely, conveniently filled in the man’s perceived deficiencies. “On the other hand, it’s hard to believe that Dolarhyde would think a powerful godlike creature-- or what he considered to be one-- like the Red Dragon would choose _him_ among all people. And in the end, Dolarhyde tried to reject the fantasy but couldn’t. He wanted to destroy himself, and the persona, rather than unleash it on the one person he loved. But it was stronger than he was. The best he could do was run away.” 

Light caught L’s eye and blushed, feeling a little silly for rambling on. “Sorry, I’m just talking out of my ass.” His gaze lingered over L’s mouth as the man licked more of the caramel away, and he reached over and wiped a little bit of the sticky sauce from L’s cheeks. He smiled softly, “See? You’re already making me clean up your mess.”

L’s cheeks flared with heat when Light wiped the caramel off his face, giggling at the thrum of arousal that went through him at just that brief touch. _Oh shit_. “No, nooo, you’re fine! I’m enjoying this!” He turned to face Light a little more now, completely ignoring the movie. It was more fun to talk like this with Light, especially since he didn’t really _get_ to talk about it much with anyone. Because of that, his reply was perhaps a bit more animated than normal for him. “And right, the Dragon definitely was borne from the childhood trauma he experienced.”

Taking another sip of beer, L leaned forward, beginning to feel a little bit overheated-- whether because of his proximity to Light, or because of how much he had been drinking, he wasn’t sure. “And whatever strength or power he found in the Dragon didn’t last much longer than the actual murders themselves, did it? It certainly didn’t stop him from still feeling paranoid about how his coworkers perceived him. And even though he _does_ become a little more confident and comfortable with himself once he starts dating Reba, enough to supposedly reject the fantasy, in the end, he tells her it doesn’t _work._ He starts hallucinating, thinking the Dragon is talking to him, and he only eats the painting to try to get the voice in his head to go away. But when it doesn’t work, he fully embraces the Dragon as _who he is_ and goes after Will for getting in the way of his happiness.”

It was slightly adorable to see L so animated, and Light couldn’t help but smile as the man became more and more excited with his explanations and theories. _L’s going to make a great profiler one day. I bet he really could track Kira if he was set in the right direction, but that won’t ever happen._ He moved slightly closer, until he could smell L’s freshly washed hair. “I would actually argue that Dolarhyde _did_ believe he was physically transforming, even if we know he wasn’t. He got the tattoos to modify his body to look like the object of his obsession. He wore the teeth of his grandmother when he committed murders, as if absorbing or using her evil energy, subverting it. Parts of his delusions were transformed into the physical world. He really saw himself as a winged demon at times.” 

Light laughed softly, realizing now he’d likely answered his own offhand question from before. “I guess _that’s_ why he ate the sketch. He was literally internalizing the fantasy and making it physical, consuming the one material, tangible thing that depicted what he thought he was and wanted to be. And at that point, he was trying to stop the Red Dragon so by destroying the sketch, he thought he could destroy his delusion.” 

Tilting his head, L watched Light’s mouth as he spoke, toying idly with the chain around his neck. “Well, if he truly thought he was _physically_ transforming into the Dragon every time he killed, then that definitely lends weight to Graham’s positing that he had a god complex.” Pausing, “It seemed like everything he did to become the Dragon was less about committing crimes and all about ascending to a higher level of being, of permanently _becoming_ the Dragon. He was working up to his final transformation.” 

Light smiled at L, having fun debating about this, and moved subtly closer. _Maybe I’ll get to tell him about interesting law studies one day too. There’s one or two out there._ He couldn’t help but stare as L played with the chain, breath slightly quickening as he imagined his own hand wrapped around it, constricting _L’s_ breath as he.... _Fuck, stop it, you’re already half-hard as it is_. 

He looked a little longer before blushing and turning back to the movie, swallowing hard as he collected his thoughts. “I agree with Graham that _part_ of Dolarhyde had a god complex, but another part, the original, more human part, had the opposite.” An inferiority complex that Dolarhyde compensated for, used the Red Dragon as armor against. “Maybe there’s two types of people who develop such a complex. Those who need the fantasy just to function, and compartmentalize it, and those who use it to accomplish something, and really believe it.” _Wonder if he knows of any more modern examples, if Kira gives such an impression to the world?_ Light shrugged, grinning and throwing back some more beer. “Or maybe there’s no difference. What do I know….” 

_It’s hitting a little close to home, isn’t it? But Kira has power no other human has, that over life and death, and it’s not fiction._ He closed his eyes and laughed softly into his drink, more like letting out an amused breath than a real laugh. He’d just tried to imagine himself ransacking some museum and stuffing a priceless sketch down his throat, a ludicrous image. The real power of Kira, or maybe the danger to those that stood against him, was that he had no delusions other than his unlimited aspirations, no wish to minimize himself except to hide in his human suit. Unlike the Red Dragon, which was so easily named _monster_ , Kira defied the labels. No crowds would cheer for Dolarhyde, no nations bow. And that’s why fiction stayed where it was, static and interpretable and neat, while Kira was...so much more complex.

L’s breath caught as he realized that Light was staring at his neck again, glancing down after the other man looked away. _No, not my neck. Does he… like when I play with the chain?_ “Mmm, I can’t think of any recent real life examples of people with such a complex,” he said softly, then snorted slightly. “Except maybe Kanye West, and I’m not counting _him._ ” _Though Deneuve definitely seems to think he’s god’s gift to the world of crime fighting… But on that note, Kira probably thinks the same, with their focus on ridding the world of criminals._ He hesitated to put that label on Kira even after two years, though the amount of people talking positively about them probably was going to their heads, whoever they were. _I can’t even really fault Kira for that, though. Anyone would start to think themselves a god with that kind of adoration._ “Ahh, that might be a discussion for another night, though.”

Light’s eyes went wide, “Kayne---,” but he couldn’t hold in his laughter at that, his supposedly somber-esque mood shattering completely. Of all the people L could have mentioned...not Napoleon or Julius Caesar, Marc Antony or Magellan or Leonardo di Vinci, Ghengis Khan or Tamerlane or Atilla. Nope. Kanye. He giggled again, only shaking his head and letting it go, thinking that it was history anyway and never psychology that sorted one type of god complex from another. Asking for someone living wasn’t even a fair question, distance and perspective were needed to know whether deeds were ever great or just seemed that way. Unless you’re the one doing them. He coughed and composed himself, nodding, “Agreed. We’ll debate god complexes some other time.”

L took another swallow of beer before holding up a hand and laughing. “In _that_ case… full disclosure, Dolarhyde’s ink was _gorgeous,_ and if I could afford it right now, I would be _highly_ tempted to get a tattoo.” He was feeling the effects of the alcohol now… and the way Light was indulging him made him feel good. And a little like abandoning the discussion now. _God, I want to kiss you so bad right now._

L’s enthusiasm for the discussion seemed dimmed, and Light hoped that meant L was becoming more interested in _Light_ instead of fictional boogeymen. “So what kind of tattoo would you get, if money were no object?” 

Smiling, L inched forward, and giggled at the question. “You know, I honestly don’t know what I would want to get a tattoo of.” He quieted down for a moment, eyes lifting upwards slightly as he thought, and then he smiled softly. “I like the idea of getting a white tattoo. It’s weird, I know, and it would require a _lot_ of upkeep, but maybe a white rose for my dad. And I’ve sort of thought about getting a tattoo of a phoenix on my back, with the wings spread, and the tail sort of twining around my side.” _But THAT would be hugely expensive._

Light visualized the phoenix tattoo on L’s back, and it seemed like a nice choice. He couldn’t help but see something a little more _goth_ given the rest of L’s aesthetic, but then Light didn’t know the man that well. Maybe it was symbolic of a rebirth, a change he didn’t know about. It _would_ be beautiful but then anything would be on that porcelain skin. Light had gotten a much better view of the _back_ of L last weekend than the rest, although his drunkenness hadn’t done his memory any favors. “I think that would look fantastic. You should do it if you want one. Maybe to celebrate graduation, finally being free.”

L laughed softly, squirming at Light’s reaction to his tattoo idea. _It doesn’t have to be a phoenix, honestly_ . “I mean, I sort of go through phases of wanting different things, which is part of the reason I’ve never actually gotten anything done yet. I used to want a freaking _Dark Mark_ , for crying out loud.” He snorted at that. “I’m pretty much out of my Harry Potter phase, but so long as the design has clean lines, I’d love anything Celtic or gothic looking. Ideas I’ve had were a scorpion, the moon phases, a dragon, skulls and flowers… you know, all the typical stuff.” 

Light’s eyes went wide when L said he’s thought about getting a Dark Mark. “Heh, so you’re a Slytherin then?” He clinked his beer to L’s in cheers. “Shoulda known.”

L laughed, raising his glass to Light and grinning. “Yeah, I’m definitely a Slytherin. However did you guess? You strike me as a Slytherin as well.” He smiled at Light and asked softly, “What about you? Ever wanted a tattoo?” _Maybe something meaningful will come to me in the next few months. I would love to finally get something done._

Light had always liked the look of tattoos and had thought about what it would be like to have one, but the question made him smile anyway because of their cultural differences. “Maybe, but nothing visible. It’s kind of a social taboo here, associated with crime, which is completely silly, but there’s a lot of discrimination here against people with visible tattoos. Would make a career in law harder, if I went that route.” He gave L an amused look and rolled his eyes, because there was one more reason. “Plus my parents would kill me. My dad’s a police officer and he’s always making disapproving comments about what he calls ‘hooliganism.’” Light still didn’t even know what that meant and the definition seemed to change from day to day, from actual vandalism to just loud music and Shinjuku fashion. But he cared what they thought, and even if Light was independent in every way, the opinions of his family still meant something to him. “But ah, don’t laugh, but tattooed wings were what I always wanted. Cliche I know.” He wouldn’t have traded half his life to Ryuk for shinigami eyes, but for real wings he might have considered it.

Closing his eyes for a moment, L took a drink, imagining the way tattooed wings might look on Light, and though he was sure the image in his head wasn’t _quite_ what the other man’s was, it still looked incredible. “Damn. It might be cliche, but I don’t really care too much about that. You’d look amazing with wings.” _And if I were the only one who would ever see them, that would be even more amazing._ “Besides, that sounds like the best of both worlds. You get something that you like, and it’s easily covered up so your parents don’t get upset.” He grinned, finally looking at the other man again. “I’m guessing that’s much more of a commitment than buying an expensive espresso machine, though. And the artist matters.” 

L reached for the chocolate dumplings again, popping one right into his mouth and loading another one up with caramel sauce, holding it up in front of Light and giggling as he asked around his mouthful, “You want?”

Light smirked as L held up a caramel-coated dumpling. And while he was pretty full and didn’t really want more, he leaned forward and closed his lips around L’s fingers, drawing them back slower than necessary as he held the man’s gaze.

The way Light’s lips felt closing over his fingers brought a low sound from L, and he stared with lips parted for a long moment, trying to will his hormones away. _Fat chance of THAT._ “Light-” he started, cutting himself off abruptly, biting his lip to try and stifle a moan when Light sucked at his fingers. _Fuck, that’s not fair, I KNOW you were probably getting off in the shower earlier._ Swallowing hard, he dipped his fingers in the caramel, a smile spreading deviously across his face as he swiped them across Light’s cheek. “Oops,” he said in a low, teasing voice. 

“L!” Light knew the game L was playing and reached up to touch the caramel on his face, fingertips coming away sticky. He stared across the couch at L, giving him a smoldering look, “Are you making more messes? You know what I told you about cleaning them up.” He leaned closer and turned his cheek towards L, “You’ll have to take responsibility.”

L was breathing heavily, sucking the rest of the caramel off his fingers by the time Light was giving him _that_ look, and he set his nearly empty beer glass on the coffee table before leaning close to Light. “Not fair, you know,” he murmured into Light’s ear before shifting, reaching up to grip his jaw loosely with his fingers. “I haven’t gotten off since _Sunday night_ , and you’re deliberately being a horrible tease.” 

When L leaned in closer, Light didn’t move away, only grinned wickedly at L’s confession. “That’s because I _am_ a horrible tease.” Not _just_ a tease, but Light was having fun feeling the other man’s desire, getting him worked up. “But it’s not _my_ fault you didn’t get off all week. I’m a little surprised you had the energy for it on Sunday.”

_You certainly ARE a tease_ , L thought, eyes narrowing slightly at Light’s comment. But two could play at that game. He pressed his tongue to Light’s cheek, licking the caramel sauce delicately off his skin before pulling back slightly, a playful quirk to his lips as he stared at the younger man. It was somewhat amazing to him that they’d actually had _sex_ , but hadn’t even kissed yet. _That seems backwards_ , he thought, licking his lips and starting to lean forward. 

Light hummed as L licked away the caramel, closing his eyes and exhaling hard at the feeling of that soft tongue on his skin. He turned to look at him and their faces were barely apart, his gaze flicking from L’s eyes to his lips. Softly, “I suppose I shouldn’t tell you what took me so long in the shower then.” _Like you don’t know._

When Light turned his head, L deliberately stayed where he was, lips parting at that soft murmur. _Fuck, called it._ “I _know_ what you were doing in there, Light,” he said, voice hushed, gaze falling to Light’s lips. 

Light’s chest was rising and falling quicker, heart beating hard with anticipation. His lips parted but he paused, trying to think things through this time, but his mind was swimming with want. “Probably be a bad idea to kiss you too. Being my roommate and all, and after how I made a mess of things before.” He looked up searchingly, eyes saying _prove me wrong._

  
The next words out of Light’s mouth sent a shiver through L, his body tightening with arousal and anticipation. _Why is it a bad idea when you’ve already done MORE, when you obviously still want me, and when I want YOU so badly?_ It was maddening. His gaze slid back up to lock with Light’s, breath catching at that look in Light’s eyes, and before he could consciously remember moving, L had closed the short distance between them to kiss Light, fingers sliding into the younger man’s hair and _twisting_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG THEY FINALLY KISSED! 
> 
> A few other notes:  
> This was L’s Shirt: https://www.urbandecay.com/eyeliner-sweatshirt-by-urban-decay/UD714.html
> 
> Re: L’s makeup addiction - he buys most of it online and owns almost the entire Urban Decay eyeliner collection (because he loves experimenting with graphic eyeliner looks). Lipstick and concealer he buys locally.
> 
> Re: The Red Dragon. The movie/book had some speculation about specific mental illnesses for Dolarhyde but we’ve avoided really touching on those, even if fictional, to avoid any stigmas. Most people with mental illness are not violent and only 3%–5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness; people with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population. (https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/mental-health-myths-facts) So, instead, they just focus on potential motivations/psychology in their fictional analysis when discussing Dolarhyde.


	9. Don't Stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light and L finally stop dancing around the issue of their attraction. Light makes a confession and L gives a demonstration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut ahoy! (and some feels)

Light leaned hard into the kiss, hungrily licking into L’s mouth as he fisted the man’s shirt and pulled him closer. It had struck him as odd that they’d had wild shower sex but hadn’t even kissed yet until now, but he’d been of such single-minded purpose that night, too drunk and horny to do anything other than _that_. Thinking about being inside L again made him feel hot all over, and he was grabbing at the man, his prior guilt from last weekend evaporating as he yanked L astride his lap and kneaded his ass over his jeans. 

_Fucking FINALLY_ , L thought, a muffled whimper leaving him at the way Light reacted, his head reeling from a combination of the alcohol and the sudden rush of _want_ that washed over him as he was tugged almost immediately across Light’s lap, one arm going around the man’s shoulders. As he felt hands kneading his ass, L arched against Light with a low cry. _Fuck, YES!_

Light’s hands moved up the back of L’s shirt, nails raking over flesh as he moaned into L’s mouth. He was achingly hard now, as if his prior session in the shower hadn’t even happened, because his hand and a fantasy were no substitute for their real chemistry. If L slid forward even a little bit he’d be right on top of Light’s cock, and then this _definitely_ wasn’t ending with just a kiss.

So much stimulation all at once was nearly overwhelming for L, but Light wasn’t pulling _away_ from the kiss, had leaned _into_ it with dizzying intent, and as he felt those wonderful hands sliding up his back, raking against his skin and leaving trails of fire in their wake, it was all so _hot_ that L felt like he was burning up.

Light turned his head to the side to break the kiss, panting as he looked up at L through his hair. “This isn’t revenge, is it? For teasing you so much?” He laughed breathlessly, one hand moving to hold L’s hip and stroking his thumb over the man’s clothed erection. 

L stared down in dazed surprise, breathing heavily and one hand clutching at the back of Light’s neck. “What?” The question didn’t even register for a moment, the words just… didn’t make sense to him. _Revenge?_

“You better stop now if you don’t want this to go any further.” Light said it in a disingenuous tone, but the intention was true. He wanted to make damn sure he wasn’t crossing lines this time. 

A breathless moan left L at the way Light was stroking him, squirming a little to get _more_ of that touch. “Why would I want this to _stop?_ ” he asked, head falling back with a low whine, toes curling as Light continued to tease him. 

“Like...maybe you’re too tired?” Light giggled, circling his thumb over the head to entice him. He said softer, “Are you too tired to moan for _me_? I’ve been missing that sound, L, I want to hear it again.”

While L had just wanted to get off, hearing Light say how much he’d _missed_ hearing him this week put some things into perspective, and he pulled back for a moment to look at him, biting his lip. _I didn’t realize how much it affected him. No wonder he thought…_

That teasing touch was driving him _mad_ , though, and L leaned forward again to clutch at the back of the couch with his free hand, voice low and thick as he whispered against Light’s ear, “Can’t you _tell_ how badly I want you?”

Light felt dizzy with the way L was squirming on his lap, more drunk than from the alcohol, his eyes closing a moment when L whispered in his ear. “Yes,” he panted quietly, “I can tell.” But _he_ couldn’t tell L the real reason for his hesitation, why he needed so much assurance, why he was giving L every out he could think of even though he wanted this more than anything. _I can’t tell him I’m Kira. I can’t ever tell him. It’s cruel and unfair and he’ll end up getting hurt._ Because one day, Light might have to disappear, run away to obscurity if the police ever hired someone competent to find him. One day, L might hear through the news who he was and feel disgusted and betrayed. One day he might die by Ryuk’s hand or by the hands of men who wanted Kira dead, and he’d only be setting L up for pain. And while he’d been lying to himself that maybe L wasn’t attracted to him anymore or that he’d made a mistake last weekend, Light knew that neither were true. It was obvious L wanted him. _Wants Light._ But it had been _Kira_ that had fucked him in the shower and he’d never known it, could never know it.

L studied him for a moment as he pulled back, wondering what Light was thinking. _He’s still holding back a little. Why?_ Swallowing hard, he scooted forward to settle more comfortably in Light’s lap, a low moan leaving him as he felt how _hard_ Light was underneath him, and he smiled as he slid both hands around to cup Light’s face. “Keep touching me like this, and you won’t be able to shut me _up_ ,” he mumbled, kissing Light thoroughly as he ground himself down into the man’s lap, exhaling a harsh sound into his mouth. He only broke the kiss long enough to whisper against Light’s lips, “I don’t _want_ to stop, Light.”

“I don’t want to either.” Light opened his eyes and looked up at L with emotion, feeling something more than attraction and wondering what L would think if he knew Kira had killed for him today, just because someone had made L unhappy. _Horror. He’d hate me._ But the noises coming from the man were making him throb and it was too _much_ to turn away from. Too much to say no to, too much not take hold of while he could. And if one day he did have to run, so be it, but he wasn’t going to run away tonight. He was going to have this. 

_He doesn’t want it to stop._ L could tell just by the way Light was looking at him that this wasn’t some friends-with-benefits thing, that this attraction between them might not _be_ any simple attraction. And there was an undercurrent of intensity to Light’s look that made his breath catch, made him wonder… _How strongly does he already feel for me?_ It _should_ have scared him. That look in Light’s eyes, the strength of his _own_ feelings for Light. He’d had the opportunity a couple times prior to this to start something _substantial_ , but both times, he had balked and ended the flirtations before anything serious could begin, hadn’t _wanted_ serious. And now? His lips curved up into a deeply satisfied smile, eyes falling half shut as he took a deep, shuddering breath. _Now I’m willing to jump in blindly and follow this WHEREVER it goes._ Stroking his fingers along Light’s cheeks, L whispered, “Then _don’t_ stop.” 

Light let himself be kissed, slipping a hand down the back of L’s jeans and pushing their hips together, pressing and grinding L against his erection with a low moan. He smiled against L’s lips as he felt nothing but skin under his fingers, no boxers or anything underneath. “Mmmm, were you hoping to get lucky again?” His fingertips trailed lower, dancing over the small of L’s back and teasing lower between his cheeks. “Or maybe a laundry malfunction?” 

A muffled, delighted laugh fell from L’s mouth as he felt fingers pressing down the back of his jeans, sliding over his skin and teasing in the most _delicious_ way, and he finally slid his arms around Light’s neck, tilting his head into that intoxicating kiss. Letting Light press him down against him like that felt so _intimate_ , he was almost grateful when Light broke the kiss, a moaning exhale leaving him before he was able to answer a soft, giggling, “No malfunction, I _never_ wear anything with these jeans.” He paused, the pink in his cheeks deepening to a dark red as Light’s teasing fingers made him squirm. _Just a little lower, Light, and you might hear me squeal_. He was panting a little as he whispered, “You remember the _first_ time I wore these jeans around you?” _The night I moved in._

Light gave L a devious look when it struck him that even the night he’d moved in, he hadn’t been wearing any underwear. “Such a little slut. Were you hoping I’d notice? Reach in and do this?” He brushed over L’s entrance and teased around it, remembering how he’d finger-fucked L hard in the shower. “And you moaned right through the wall to taunt me that night.” 

_I’m only a slut for YOU._ Light’s words made L giggle, and he was just opening his mouth to respond to that when Light’s finger brushed down over his entrance, and the ticklish sensation made him gasp instead. He squirmed a little as Light continued to tease him, face hot as he spoke, voice breathy, “Believe it or not, you’re the only person I’ve ever been this _brazen_ with.” _But yes, I wanted you to notice, I WANTED you to hear how horny you made me._ “I wanted you badly the moment I saw you and even _more_ as I got to know you, is it _really_ a surprise I was walking around commando?”

Light laughed quietly as he leaned to lick and gently bite L’s neck, moving to find the place he’d bitten last weekend and lap at the almost completely faded bruise. “Shame I couldn’t see the reactions on campus to that.” 

The way Light was biting at his neck made L throb in his jeans, whispering into Light’s ear as he felt tongue against that bruise. “I, uh... didn’t even bother covering it up, you know.” _I wanted everyone to see._

The fingers of Light’s free hand twirled into the dangling part of L’s chain and pulled it taut, not choking him yet, but definitely constricting slightly. He held it tight and pulled L against his chest for a more passionate kiss, finally understanding Dolarhyde’s need to devour the object of his obsession, if not literally. But the feeling of taking possession was intoxicating, and this was as wrong and forbidden and ill-advised as that. They were both destroying something beautiful and neither could help themselves. 

A strangled moan left L and he let himself be nearly crushed to Light, opening his mouth into the kiss. The overwhelming need to _touch_ pushed him to press his fingers to Light’s stomach beneath the sweater, sliding them down under the waistband of Light’s pants. He hadn’t been able to do much touching in the shower last weekend, and damn it, he was _going_ to.

Light nodded into the kiss when he felt L’s touch under his shirt, those long fingers reaching into his pants. No one had ever touched him like this, he’d never allowed it. Kiyomi had given up trying during their brief sham, and at the gay bars he’d always run off before anything like this could happen. He just hadn’t wanted anyone like this, and it was part of the reason he was at a loss of what to do, how to control it. But L didn’t seem to want him to control himself, didn’t seem put off by Light’s aggressiveness. And that was so very hot to him.

He slipped just the tip of his middle finger inside L, moving it in and out slowly as he tightened his grip on the chain. He mumbled into their kiss, “I should have come to your room that night, made you moan around my cock instead while you fucked yourself.”

L’s body clenched a little around Light’s finger, a low, drawn out moan leaving him, and between _that_ and Light’s grip on the chain, L was finding it hard to catch his breath… especially hearing _that_. _Oh FUCK, I wish you HAD caught me in the act._ “ _Light_ ,” he moaned, ready to say as much but his words were swallowed into the kiss. He had the feeling Light at least _suspected_ every kinky thought he’d had about him, anyway.

L’s hormones were going haywire - everything felt _too good,_ and he continued to grind into Light’s lap, rocking into the finger in his ass and unable to hold back his moans as he wiggled his fingers further down Light’s pants. 

Light could feel the wetness in his pants getting worse every time L ground against him, every time the man moaned as his finger pushed deeper. He was rolling his hips up rhythmically now, squirming against L’s body as he pressed his finger in faster, willing that hand to just undo his pants and grasp him already. He released his grip on the chain and pushed L’s shirt up, leaning up to lick across bare skin and tonguing over a nipple before sucking it into his mouth.

It wasn’t enough; _none_ of it was enough, and L broke the kiss desperately when Light let go of the chain. He whined at the sensation of tongue, of _teeth_ , against his nipple, tugging his sweatshirt fully off and dropping it onto the couch beside them before reaching up to clutch at Light’s hair. “Oh _fuck, Light!_ ” he moaned, a shudder going through him. _I need more_. He reached down to still the motion of Light’s hips with one hand, reaching to clumsily undo Light’s pants before _finally_ wrapping his fingers around the other man’s cock and stroking.

Light huffed against L’s skin when he felt a hand stilling his hip but breathed out, “Yes, touch me…” when L finally reached in. He whined with the novel sensation of someone else--of _L--_ touching him, his eyes lidding as he panted with the pleasure. 

“Were you thinking of me while you were jerking off in the shower, Light?” L asked breathlessly.

Light looked up, lips parted, and whispered low, “Of course I was thinking about you. I can’t take a shower in there without thinking about you, what I did to you.” _What I need to do again._

L sucked in a harsh breath, a thrill going through him at hearing that. “Will you do it _again_?” he asked, unable to do much more than stare down at Light, licking his lips. He wanted to see Light’s expression as he squeezed his fingers around Light’s erection, body clenching around the man’s finger. 

“Of course I--,” Light broke off into a gasped, “Fuck!” and squirmed when L squeezed him, precum beading at the swollen tip as L clenched.

A low hiss left L at that. _Light, you are hot as hell._ He was panting hard when he finally whispered, “ _Fuck_ , you have no idea how much I was kicking myself earlier, I should have just joined you in there.” _Why the fuck DIDN’T I?_

“You should’ve come in...I wanted you to…” Light squeezed his eyes shut and moaned softly as L stroked him, unable to keep from thrusting into L’s hand. 

L watched Light’s pleasure dancing across his face, fisting his cock. His own breath quickened as he pressed his mouth to Light’s throat, kissing and licking at his skin before letting out a low whine as Light thrust up into his hand, and he ground himself back down against Light’s hand, taking that probing finger _deep._

Light leaned his head back, exposing more of his neck to L’s mouth. “I came thinking about...tying you down in my bed and fucking you again and again.”

“ _Fuck_ , Light,” L whispered hotly against Light’s neck, twisting his hand on Light’s cock and squeezing again. He squirmed against him, continuing with a low moan, “I came to fantasizing about you fucking me in that shower _so. Many. TIMES._ ” Licking a stripe up Light’s neck, his voice lowered to a whisper, “And I’ve fantasized about you fucking me in that big bed of yours, just _shoving_ my face into the mattress and taking me from behind.”

The aching need to get off felt exquisite, but Light desperately wanted L’s body squeezing him, his arousal becoming nearly unbearable. He swallowed hard and pulled his finger back, pupils wide and dark as he thought of all the filthy things he was going to do to L. “I have a confession.” Light moved swiftly to grab L’s wrists and stand up, yanking one arm tightly behind L’s back as he started to back the man out of the living room. 

When Light pulled his hand out of L’s pants, he pouted at the younger man. “Light-” he started to say, not wanting to hear any _confessions_ right now, but before he could say anything else, Light tugged him to standing, making L gasp and scramble to try and find his footing. 

“I’ve been in your room.” After Light had caught an accidental glimpse of that dildo, he’d been burning up with curiosity to know what else L had, and it had been easy this week to sneak in when L wasn’t home. He stared into L’s eyes, grinning as they moved together, step by step. “I’ve _seen_ your toys. Your cuffs. That _enormous_ cock.” 

“ _Ohhhh god_ ,” L whimpered, staring at the younger man with a needy expression, his body flushed, taut like a bowstring from the arousing _rush_ of hearing Light’s low words, pupils blown wide and nearly black from the high of being manhandled as Light grinned at him. _He saw all of my toys._

Light tightened his grip and moved him backwards into L’s bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them. “Was that what made you moan so loudly?” He kissed L savagely and then pushed him on the bed, crawling up on it too as he pulled his clothes off in a hurry. “I want you to show me.” He knew L had to be _aching_ to come after so long, and he had every intention of fucking L _hard_ and making that happen, but Light wanted to play a little first.

Light’s hands gripping L’s wrists were _tight_ , and watching him kick the door shut was _so hot_ that L felt nearly delirious. _He saw ALL of my toys._ His back hit the mattress, lips still tingling from that savage kiss, and he wiggled up to the head of the bed, exhaling hard as he yanked open the drawer on his bedside table with his toys.

Light pounced on L, yanking open the man’s jeans and peeling them away and throwing them to the side. He gripped L’s ankles and moved them apart, staring at his hard cock, his eyes slowly traveling up to meet L’s. 

“You _really_ want to see?” L asked breathlessly, eyes wide as he took in how _beautiful_ and feral Light looked crawling up the bed towards him. He shifted his hips to help Light pull his jeans off, only to catch his breath again, awed at the way Light was staring at him. His cock twitched under the scrutiny, and L had to bite his lip as he watched the man move closer, those hands on his skin sending shivers up his spine. His fingers closed around the Monster and he pulled it out. “Aren’t you going to fuck me _yourself_ ?” _I don’t want THIS when I can have YOU instead._

Light laughed darkly at L’s question, “Of course I’m going to fuck you.” His hand slid up L’s legs and down his thighs, kneading the soft skin and spreading him wider as he moved closer. He leaned down to lick and bite across his hips, nearly growling against L’s skin, “But I want to see you get yourself ready for me.” Now that he had the chance to see for himself what L had been doing on the other side of the wall, he wasn’t going to pass it up. 

Giggling, L dropped the Monster on the bed, his head falling back with a low, raspy moan as he felt lips and teeth against his hips. “You are _so_ fucking hot, Light,” he whispered as he raised his head again, writhing as that growl reverberated across his skin. 

Light’s mouth slowly licked lower, and he stopped when the tip of L’s cock was just beneath his mouth. His met L’s eyes and gave him an evil little grin as he blew hot breath over it and then licked a drop of precum from the tip. “Stop asking questions and do it.” Turning his gaze back down, he sucked the head of L’s cock into his mouth for just a moment, swirling his tongue around it before letting it fall back to L’s stomach. 

L’s mouth dropped open as his eyes met Light’s, a shuddering moan leaving him as he watched that tongue sweep over the head of his cock-- _oh FUCK_ \-- and he nodded quickly. _You really want to see THAT, then that’s what you’ll get._ Another whimper left him, giving Light a dazed pout as he reached into the drawer again for the lube. Coating his fingers liberally, he wasted no time in pressing them to his entrance, circling only perfunctorily before pushing two fingers in, a low ‘ _hnnnngh!_ ’ leaving him as he panted from the exquisite burn of the stretch. _Fuck, it’s been too long_ , he thought, eyes raising to meet Light’s again as he breathed heavily, beginning to pump his fingers in and out slowly to prepare himself. He was biting his lip at the erotic sensations, a smile slowly spreading across his face as he watched Light’s expression.

Light moved back to sit on his knees, staring intently at L’s fingers disappearing and twisting inside. “Oh fuck, that’s so _hot_ .” Of course he’d imagined L doing this very thing but _seeing_ it was different, and his hand stroked his own chest idly before moving lower to grasp his nearly-vertical erection. 

“Is this what you want to see?” L asked, voice breathy as he added a third finger, seeking out his prostate now and gasping when he found it, toes curling into the mattress. He was going a little too fast, perhaps, in his prep, but he was _impatient_. When his body had stopped shuddering, L reached for the Monster, holding it up in his free hand as he pulled his fingers out. Reaching for the lube again, he slicked the dildo up, his expression devious now as he positioned the head at his entrance. “Or is _this_ what you wanted?” Letting out a shuddering breath, L pushed the toy in slowly, a low whine leaving him at the _too full_ sensation.

Watching L enjoying himself like this was so arousing that by the time L had removed his fingers and positioned the huge dildo at his entrance, Light was grabbing the lube too and stroking his cock, eyes wide and panting. He wanted to be inside L but he was thoroughly enjoying this erotic sight too, especially the filthy noises L was making. 

“I _would_ ask if you-- _nnnn, fuck!_ \-- _like_ what you see-” L said haltingly, squeezing his eyes shut as he panted, but before he could finish the thought, Light’s hand had closed around his.

Light pushed the toy in until it was all the way inside, then held it there with a flat palm and leaned down to lick at L’s stretched hole, rimming him as Light wiggled the dildo and pushed it in and out. It felt so filthy and exciting that he couldn’t help but moan, one hand grasping L’s leg to hold it to the side as he moved the dildo faster, ramming harder against the man’s prostate. Part of this was just his sense of play, but he also wanted L to feel the difference between cold silicone and the throbbing, warm flesh that would be inside him soon. 

The loud whine that left L at the feeling of _tongue_ against his ass shocked him slightly, but then, he hadn’t been expecting Light to _do_ that, either. “Oh fuck, Light!” he cried, free hand fisting in the sheets now as Light began fucking the toy in and out of him, his whole body jerking when Light deliberately jammed the Monster against his prostate hard enough for him to see stars. “ _Liiight!_ ”

Light’s tongue flicked up to lap over L’s sack and suck at the sensitive skin as he kept moving the toy, pulling as much of it into his mouth as he could and licking. He kept L’s balls in his mouth, sucking and rolling them as he angled the toy up towards L’s prostate and rubbed against it fast for a few minutes. 

L’s fingers were curling tightly into Light’s hair now as the man continued to fuck him with that toy, a drawn-out, breathy ‘ _aaaaaahhh_ ’ of pleasure leaving him as Light sucked his balls into his mouth - that was _nearly_ enough to make him come right there. 

Light couldn’t wait any longer, his own need was throbbing between his legs. He sat back and slowly pulled the toy out, leaning over L and positioning his already slicked cock at the man’s entrance.

The onslaught of so many new, erotic feelings was so strong that by the time Light pulled the dildo out of him and leaned over him, L was largely incoherent, a near-continuous stream of pleased, ragged moans escaping his mouth.

Light gazed down at him and whispered, “Are you ready for the real thing?” 

L stared up at Light, lips parted and face flushed so dark it was nearly stained red, eyes bright with desire and emotion, and he couldn’t even _speak_ anymore, merely nodded emphatically. 

Light looked into L’s eyes as he slipped the tip in, moaning right in his face at that slick velvety heat that he’d been too drunk to properly appreciate before. He hooked his arms under L’s legs and slid in all the way with a long groan, yanking the man’s entire body to forward to meet his thrust at the end. Doing it face to face like this, Light could see each flicker of pleasure or desire cross L’s face, which was something he was definitely appreciating as he began to really move. 

The feeling of Light’s cock hot and heavy against him was _intoxicating_ , the way Light slid in and yanked his body down to meet him felt _so good_ that L cried out loudly, eyes squeezing shut and pressing his head back into the mattress as he writhed in pleasure, unintentionally baring his throat. _I’m not going to last very long_ , he thought, blinking his eyes open as Light _finally_ began to move, and L drew in a hissing breath and reached up to stroke his fingers across Light’s cheeks before letting his hands fall to clutch at his arms, moaning loudly and unable to tear his eyes away from Light’s.

Watching L devolve into a writhing, moaning mess was a gorgeous sight, and Light whispered down to L as his gaze roved over the man’s flushed naked body, “You look so beautiful like this.” He stopped thrusting long enough to let L’s legs fall to the bed, leaning down so he could kiss L deeply as he began to move again. He was panting so hard the kiss was sloppy and breathless, but he needed that contact, to feel like he was touching L any and every way he could. If he could have torn himself away he would have reached for the handcuffs, but that would have to wait until next time. There was no way Light could have halted this feeling even for a second. _And there will definitely be a next time._

_He thinks I’m beautiful?_ The smile on L’s face at that compliment was wide, and before he could even _attempt_ to respond, Light was kissing him again. He let out an elated giggle into the kiss, arms going immediately around Light’s neck, and he wrapped his legs around Light’s, rolling his hips down to meet the man’s thrusts. The whole thing was sloppy, and sexy, and _perfect,_ and he twined his fingers into Light’s hair, licking enthusiastically into his mouth and moaning loudly when he hit _just_ the right spot. His body was drowning in sensation, and he could feel his arousal building with every thrust, every breath shared between them, every stroke of fingers through his hair or trailing along his skin. _I never want this to end_ , he thought, eyes squeezing shut tightly and arms tightening around Light’s neck.

As Light’s hand stroked through L’s hair and down to his neck, he felt the cool metal of L’s chain and tangled his fingers in it, gripping tight. He broke the kiss for a moment, licking his lips and staring into L’s eyes as he yanked the chain and angled a thrust up towards L’s prostate, squeezing the breath from him. Light released it after just a couple seconds and changed to a slower rhythm, watching to see whether he should do it again. 

When Light broke the kiss, L blinked dazedly, staring up at him questioningly only for his breath to hitch as Light gripped the chain around his neck again, an anticipatory grin spreading across his face. _Is he-_ In the next moment, stars were bursting behind his eyelids, body tight with the simultaneous jolt of _need_ and constriction, and when Light released him, L had to take a shuddering breath, a shaky moan leaving him on the exhale. _Holy fuck, that was HOT_. He was _so_ close now, his entire body was tingling and weak. L reached to clutch at Light’s shoulders, legs tightening around Light’s waist as he whispered insistently, “Yesss, Light, do _that_ again, _please!_ ”

L’s reaction made Light throb inside him, unable to keep from speeding up his hips and chasing that pleasure when L’s body tightened around him. He panted harshly, “Oh fuck...I’m going to come _so_ hard.” He cooed into L’s ear, “Are you going to let me come inside you like a good slut?” Harsher, “I’m so close I can taste it.” 

The look on L’s face was eager as he ground himself down on Light’s cock and moaned, “ _Yes,_ I _want_ you to come in me, fuck!”

Light’s fingers trembled in the chain as he gripped it again, feeling that they were both right on the edge. He hesitated a moment before yanking again, pounding into L’s prostate fast while not letting go, and finally dropping the chain as he shot inside L with a long moan. His whole body shuddered with the waves of pleasure, forcing his hips to still and eyes to close. Light gripped L’s shoulders as he pumped a few more times to draw it out, sweat dotting his body from the exertion and the adrenaline rush. Even though they’d had sex before in the shower, this _felt_ like the first time because Light couldn’t remember everything about that night, and he’d never forget this one. 

L could feel _everything_ keenly now, fingers twisting in Light’s hair, and a high, drawn-out ‘ _ahhhh!_ ’ leaving him before being cut off once again by Light yanking the chain tight around his throat. His body seized from the sudden stimulation, every limb tightening around Light, a sensation of shivering pleasure building and plateauing for a moment - and then Light was shooting inside of him as he released the chain. _Oh FUCK!_ His lungs burned a little as air rushed back into them, that wave of pleasure cresting and crashing down on L as he cried out, shooting between them and rolling his hips down to meet Light’s thrusts before finally stilling.

Light collapsed onto L’s chest, exhausted and spent and drifting in a golden afterglow as he tried to catch his breath. He could feel L’s heart pounding too, and stroked down the man’s arm to find his hand and intertwine their fingers. He wanted L to be his and no one else’s, never wanted to lose his grip on this feeling of freedom and pleasure and closeness. Light had never had that before, he’d never had anyone but false friends and tagalongs, shallow people who didn’t care who he really was. _Oh shit. I have to be careful that L doesn’t find out too much._ But he wouldn’t worry about that now, not when he was filled with happiness and smiling as wide as possible. 

Chest heaving, eyes heavy with utter satisfaction, L just breathed for a long moment, unable to move in the hazy afterglow. Light’s warm, damp weight on his chest felt amazing, and the feeling of fingers twining through his sent a flutter of happiness through him. L closed his eyes, swallowing hard as he squeezed Light’s fingers affectionately, a fierce smile spreading across his face. _Please keep me, Light._

Light kissed L’s flushed chest and leaned up on his elbow to look at him, hoping it was as good for him, “Was that ok?” 

That soft question made L giggle, and he opened his eyes with a gentle smile, finally whispering, “You’re _amazing_ , Light.” 

Light beamed with the praise, leaning down to capture L’s lips in another kiss but softly this time. It thrilled him to know he’d satisfied L despite his inexperience, but it wasn’t as if Light hadn’t watched enough ‘instructive materials’ to know what to do. 

L’s breath caught as he shifted slightly, causing Light’s cock to push against his oversensitive prostate, his own cock twitching weakly in response. “Oh shit,” he said breathlessly, a low giggle falling from his lips again, eyes hooding slightly as he met Light’s. “It was more than okay. Let’s not wait days to do that again, please?” _I could see myself falling for you easily._

Light felt so warm inside that L wanted to do it again, and he wondered what the other man was looking for exactly. Friends with benefits? Just a fling? Or something more?

He murmured against L’s lips, “There’s no way I could wait that long again.” It wasn’t like they were going to be very busy this week since classes for the new semester didn’t start until next Monday. L might have to work some days but still, there would be much more free time to spend together. He blushed and added, “I want to pounce on you every time I see you, and now that I know you really _want_ me to...I won’t hold back anymore.” 

L’s heart was still pounding hard when Light leaned down to kiss him, transfixed by the beaming smile on the other man’s face. Cupping Light’s cheek in his hand, he drew the kiss out for as long as he could, and he couldn’t help but giggle softly against Light’s mouth as he thought, _How did I get so lucky?_ That murmur tickled his lips and he giggled again, pressing his lips more firmly against Light’s before whispering laughingly, “Then don’t hold back.” He stroked his fingers down to Light’s neck and slid them down his back, kissing him again and murmuring against his mouth, “I want you as often as _possible_ .” _As often as you want me,_ L thought, grinning when Light’s words echoed his thoughts.

Light kissed L’s swollen lips once more before slowly easing out, eyes going wide with the mess. Light giggled, “Oh shit...well....I’ll wash your sheets tomorrow.” 

The ensuing mess when Light pulled out made L laugh, and he squirmed around until they were lying face to face, beaming at the man. _This is so magical, sometimes I feel like I’m living in a dream here_.

Light turned on his side facing L, gazing at him contentedly as the aquarium bubbled in the background, casting a pale blue shimmering light over the whole room. Taking L’s hand again, he snuggled closer, leaving the covers off for now since he was still overheated. “Bet you didn’t think you’d get this when you drew that dick in my coffee, huh?” He laughed softly, kissing L’s hand. 

L was so content and relaxed now as he held Light’s hand and cuddled into him that he nearly missed that question. Giggling, he murmured, “Nope! After I did that, I honestly was trying not to get my hopes up.” His breath caught at that soft kiss to his hand, and he leaned up over Light, smiling down at him as he slung one leg over Light’s. “But you came back. And you gave me your number. But I still didn’t expect…” _Should I say it?_ “I never in a million _years_ thought I would be living with the man of my dreams, let alone _sleeping_ with him, after that stunt.” He pressed one more soft kiss to Light’s mouth before whispering, “I guess that means either _you_ are incredibly forgiving, or _I’m_ extremely lucky.”

“Do you mind if I sleep here tonight? I can go back to my room but it would be nice to fall asleep with you.”

L laid back down beside Light, pressing his forehead to Light’s and carefully extricated his hand from the man’s grasp, reaching instead to pull him into a loose embrace. “ _Please_ stay with me tonight,” he whispered, eyes shining in the pale light and heart pounding for an entirely different reason than before. _Does he want us to be together like I do? Going on dates and everything? Maybe I’ll ask in the morning._ And maybe he’d try his hand at that stove and make pancakes or waffles for breakfast. They both deserved something nice after the stressful week they’d had.


	10. Captured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light and L’s romantic breakfast is interrupted by shocking news that a Kira suspect is in custody, courtesy of the detective Deneuve.

The first thing L saw when he opened his eyes was Light’s peaceful face, and he had to blink a couple times to make sure what he was seeing was _real_. _He really did stay with me._ Propping himself up on one elbow, L smiled, reaching out carefully to stroke the tips of his fingers down Light’s cheek, only to pull back when the man stirred. _No, I don’t want to wake him yet._ He eased out of bed with a grin, pulling on a pair of shorts after coming back from the bathroom, and grabbed his phone. As he made his way to the kitchen, he stuck his earbuds in, humming along quietly to his music as he began rummaging for the ingredients he needed for pancakes, immediately setting to mixing and measuring once he had everything ready. 

He didn’t even _think_ about it; he’d made pancakes for himself a million times, so it was just _habit_ for him to turn on the stovetop, drop some pancake batter on the griddle pan and then turn around to start making coffee, bopping along as the music switched to his current favourite Grimes song. 

\---

Light blinked the dim morning light when he felt something poking him and swatted sleepily, “Eh, stop it Ryuk, I’ll play Wii Bowling with you later.”

Soft snickering filled the room as the shinigami poked his head up through the bed. “That ain’t me, but I’ll take you up on Wii Bowling.”

“Huh?” Light reached underneath him and pulled out the enormous dildo that had been poking into his side, cheeks going red as Ryuk began cackling loudly, rolling on his side in mid-air. _Oh shit, did L hear me talking to Ryuk?_ He looked around the room but L wasn’t in here, much to his relief. He jammed the toy under L’s pillow, rolling his eyes as he kicked at the shinigami playfully. He whispered, “You ass. Get out of here and go waste time somewhere else today. I’ll catch up with you tonight to do some writing.”

Ryuk covered his mouth with his huge hand, still laughing as he flapped through the thick glass window of L’s bedroom. 

Light flopped on his back, grinning up at the ceiling as he remembered everything that had happened last night. He was still sticky from it, and wanted a shower, but first he needed coffee _badly_. He called out, “L?” It was about then that he noticed a faint whiff of smoke drifting into the bedroom and he jumped out of bed, walking to the doorway quickly. “L do you smell---” His words were drowned out when all the smoke detectors in the apartment went off simultaneously, making Light cover his ear and rush towards the kitchen. 

It wasn’t until L smelled smoke that he turned around in a panic, tearing out his ear buds and rushing over to turn off the stove, cursing up a storm and coughing. “ _Fuuuuck_ , come _on_!” 

“L! What happened?! Are you ok?” There was a fire on the stove where it looked like L had tried to cook something in a pan, and Light gently maneuvered him away from it, filled a stockpot with water and poured it into the flaming pan. The fire was doused immediately but smoke still filled the apartment, triggering the alarms. 

L was too preoccupied to realize that Light had come into the room, and so he was a little startled when Light moved him aside. But he _was_ grateful when Light took control of the situation.

“It’s ok! We just need to open some windows.” Light grabbed a dish towel and quickly opened the windows, fanning the smoke outside until it started to clear. He couldn’t help but giggle though, it had just been a little fire and nothing serious, but L looked nearly panicked.

L couldn’t help but pout a little, helping Light fan the smoke out the windows before finally admitting with a red face, “Umm… I wasn’t… paying attention to the stove. Thanks for… well. Thanks.” He pointed to the rest of the pancake batter, of which there was still a good amount, and added brightly, “At least I didn’t lose it all. I… wanted to surprise you with breakfast.” _Well, I’m guessing THAT was certainly a surprise. So much for doing something nice._ “But I think I might need a little practice with this stove.”

Light tossed the dish towel aside when the alarms stopped sounding, laughing quietly as he walked to where L was, leaving the windows open to keep circulating fresh air. “I should have warned you about the stove.” He embraced L, stroking his back and kissing his hair. “Heats up faster than I do when I know you don’t have underwear on.” He pushed his hand down the back of L’s shorts and squeezed, laughing into his neck. 

L was just opening his mouth to protest that the warning shouldn’t have been _necessary-- because it SHOULDN’T have been, I already know that oven is going to be tricky to learn to use, so why should the stove be any different?_ \-- when Light made that teasing comment, and his breath caught in his throat, arms tightening slightly around Light’s waist. “Hey!” he said, laughing breathlessly and squirming when Light’s hand slipped into his shorts. “Ugh, dammit, you’re such a _tease!_ ”

“But no harm done. Why don’t you make us some coffee since you _know_ by now I’ll only make mud.” _I guess we each have our talents, huh?_ Light pulled back, kissing the tip of L’s nose, “And I’ll finish breakfast in nothing but an apron. How about that?”

L just gave him a smirk, looking him over appreciatively before giggling and restarting the brew. _I guess I’ll take this one, it won’t be my best coffee ever._ “That sounds like a fantastic idea, though I think _I’m_ getting the better view here.”

Light walked back to the kitchen and washed his hands, shrugging on an apron and tying it in the back as he cleaned up the stovetop and looked over the batter L had made. “Ok, this looks _almost_ perfect, but would you be averse to me adding some chocolate chips?” He gave L a little smile, “I guess you noticed by now I’m a bit of a chocoholic.” He didn’t think L would protest but was happy to make a separate batch if so. He hummed to himself and rummaged in the fridge as he warmed a new clean pan. 

Laughing again, L said, “Awww, damn, I _knew_ I should have trusted my instincts and added them! That sounds perfect!” He set his coffee mug aside, cleaning the coffee press and readying some of the Kona for Light’s coffee. 

“Yessss….I just renewed your lease for next month.” Light pumped a fist in the air and dumped a whole bag of chocolate chips into the batter, stirring it around with little wiggle of his hips. 

_Oh fuck._ That little wiggle made L’s eyes go wide as he watched Light, and if he were being honest, he wasn’t exactly hungry for _pancakes_ anymore. _He looks so good, even all sticky from last night._ His voice when he spoke was low and a little rough when he said, “You, uhhh… you _did,_ huh? I’ll admit, I’m a little unclear on what the terms of the lease are, now, you suggested some very _interesting_ revisions last Saturday.” Swallowing hard, he made himself look up, cheeks pink as he smiled slowly at Light, bringing his coffee over when he’d finished making it. 

Light leaned back and captured L’s lips momentarily when he felt the man beside him, pushing his hips back at the mention of _last_ Saturday night’s promises. “Well, if you want to hold me to my word, I’d be happy to waive rent if you let me have _my way_.” 

L’s breath caught momentarily at the way Light pressed back against him, a little dazed by that brief kiss. “Mmm, I’d love to hear more later, if you’re open to discussing terms after breakfast.” A soft laugh left L at that, dropping a kiss onto Light’s shoulder as he set the mug down and wrapped his arms loosely around Light’s waist, trying to watch what he was doing with the batter. _Damn it, now I REALLY want him._

Light gave L a devious look and turned back to the pancakes, dipping a finger in the batter and sucking it off. Light flashed a smile over his shoulder at L as he took the coffee, nodding approvingly at the choice when he sampled it. “Mmm, you made the Kona? Going to be a good morning indeed.” 

The urge to lick Light’s neck was nearly overwhelming, but L managed to refrain, despite the fact he was definitely more than half hard watching Light suck pancake batter off his fingers and walk around in nothing but that apron. “Mmm… Good coffee, delicious food, and one _sexy_ man in my arms.” _And hopefully we end up in that nice, big bed of yours soon._ He pressed a kiss to Light’s neck now, whispering, “ _Definitely_ a good morning.” 

Light was feeling quite happy given this new understanding with L and a whole week off ahead. Of course he’d try and get a head start on some of the assigned reading for his classes, and Aizawa had dumped an entire new chapter from his book on him, but Light didn’t feel the need to worry about that now. His new world was slowly coming to fruition, no one knew who he was, and he had finally found someone who seemed to care about him for more than superficial reasons (despite how L kept constantly checking out his ass). He was almost feeling safe, nearly comfortable. “Oh! How about fresh whipped cream and strawberries as a topping? It’s so easy to make whipped cream I never bother buying that compressing shit in a can.” Light brought out the ingredients, as well as some butter to test the pan, turning to L to see what he thought of that.

L had been too busy admiring Light’s ass to pay attention, but his eyes went wide as he belatedly registered the question, looking up at Light now with an eager grin. “Wait, _what?_ You know how to make _real_ whipped cream? Uh, that sounds _amazing_ . That’s one thing I never learned how to make that I really _should_ know by now.”

“Oh, making whipped cream is a cinch. I’ll show you.” Light pulled out a ceramic bowl and an electric mixer, pouring heavy cream into the bowl and starting to beat it on low. “The trick is just to avoid over-whipping it. And this.” He tapped about a teaspoon of white power into the mixture. “A little Cream of Tartar keeps it fluffy and from getting watery if you have leftovers.” Not that he expected that would be a huge issue this morning. He kept beating the cream until it started to form soft peaks, showing L, “Almost ready. When the peaks are stiff and don’t fall, it’s done and anything past that will just be butter.” Knowing how to make butter was useful too, but that wasn’t what he was aiming for today. 

When Light began to demonstrate, L grinned, watching eagerly over his shoulder and doing his best not to get in the way. “So over-whipping just turns it into butter? What if the setting is too high? Same result?” Those were probably stupid questions, but he wasn’t going to learn if he didn’t _ask_ , and honestly, he couldn’t believe the process was so _simple_. He tried to stifle his giggle, nuzzling against Light’s neck and grinning at the description. “So when it gets _stiff_ , it’s _ready,_ hmm?” 

“Yes, if you keep whipping past this stage, you’ll get butter, which is good to know but _not_ for today.” Light turned around and giggled at L’s innuendo about ‘stiffness.’ “If you keep talking like that you’re going to get something else than pancakes for breakfast.” _It’s unfair when he’s peppering me with sexy questions and then serious ones._ “Are you actually listening to me or just watching my ass?” When he was done, Light turned off the mixer and ejected the beaters, handing one to L as he turned back to the hot pan, taking one for himself and licking it. 

Light’s laughter at his innuendo sent a little thrill through L, and he let his gaze wander down, licking his lips at the thought of getting a _different_ kind of breakfast. _Maybe some meat_ , he thought with a giggle, blushing and looking away with a murmur, “Damn, now I kind of want breakfast in _bed_.” _Okay, stop, he’s going to smack you._ Laughing, he stepped back and taking the proffered beater. “What, a guy can’t do both?” To demonstrate, he pointedly looked Light’s body up and down before licking the beater enthusiastically, eyes dancing with mischief. _Never mind that I sometimes DO get distracted…_ “Thank you, Light.” He placed the beater in the sink when he was done with it. 

Light poured some of the batter into the pan after he’d buttered it, turning the batter over after just a few seconds since that was all it took with this kind of stovetop. The chocolate was melting into the batter and smelled delicious. “Ugh, I half want to just eat the batter but I’ll hold myself back, hope you appreciate my sacrifice.” He grinned at L, shoveling the finished pancake onto a plate and repeating the process. “Wanna slice up some strawberries to go on top?”

L grabbed the strawberries and hummed contentedly to himself as he sliced them up, stealing glances at Light the entire time and smiling to himself. In an effort to distract himself from staring at Light’s ass (for the umpteenth time), he teased, “You _know_ you don’t need my permission to eat the batter, I’m sure a _little_ bit won’t hurt.”

All his teasing aside, L _was_ curious to get Light’s thoughts on what they were doing, moving forward, or rather, what this _thing_ between them was, though he wasn’t entirely sure how to ask. _Just ask him what he feels comfortable with. He might surprise you_. He chewed on his lip as he finished slicing the berries up, washing his hands afterwards and putting the dirty utensils in the dishwasher before leaning back against the counter and watching Light fondly. 

Light had finished off the batter and moved the pancakes onto separate plates, heaping generous amounts of whipped cream and the strawberries L had sliced on top. After the plates were ready, he held up a finger, “One moment while I run to the laundry room for some pajama pants. This apron isn’t going to be so comfortable to eat in.” The laundry room was also a half bathroom and he washed up since he hadn’t had the chance before the fire, cleaning off the traces of stickiness from the night before until he felt as squeaky clean as he could without a real shower.

He was only gone a few minutes before dashing back. “Bon appetit! And thank you for the coffee by the way.” 

L’s stomach growled at the sight of the pancakes, and he hurriedly pulled up a stool and tugged one plate towards him, mouth already watering. “This looks and smells _amazing_ ,” he mumbled, eagerly taking a large bite, eyes falling mostly shut as he savored the flavor, a low ‘ _mmmm_ ’ leaving him. Once he’d swallowed the first bite, L looked over at Light with a satisfied smile. “Together, we make a pretty damn awesome breakfast.” 

Taking another bite, L mulled over his earlier thoughts. _I should ask now, before I chicken out_. He opened his mouth, intending merely to ask Light’s thoughts on their _relationship_ , only for the words, “Go out with me tonight?” to fall from his lips instead.

Light moved to sit at the island bar, scooting the bar stool closer as he looked up sharply at L’s question. Light slowly broke into a grin, “Of course, I’d love to do that. I was…” He blushed and looked down at his food, cutting it into pieces slowly. “I didn’t want to assume what you wanted out of this, from me. But I guess I’ll just put my cards on the table that....I care about you. So if you just want a fling, please tell me. So I can be prepared for that.” Light looked up with honest eyes, trying to relay that even a fling would be better than nothing but he hoped it would be more. 

L tilted his head and beamed when Light agreed to the date, setting down his fork and knife down to listen intently, face flushing a little and his heart beating faster now. _I… didn’t even have to ask._ “Light…” Reaching out, L laid a hand over one of Light’s, swallowing hard and giving the man a tremulous smile. “I’m not looking for a fling, here, _either_ . I’m…” A small laugh left him, and he looked down. “I wasn’t sure if _you_ were looking for anything serious or not, but… honestly, I don’t have a ton of experience with… _any_ of this. Not with sex, not with relationships… but I like you, a _lot_ , and… I don’t think I was being _that_ subtle with having a huge crush on you from the get go.” He scooted closer to Light and kissed his cheek before smiling. “What I _mean_ to say is that I- if you’re interested… if you’re _comfortable_ with it, that is, I would like to… well, be your boyfriend.” _Why am I being so awkward?_ Softly, “And you know, it feels kind of weird to say that, because I’ve never really felt that way about _anyone_ before.”

Light’s face lit up when L said he wasn’t looking for just a fling, color rising to his cheeks at that sweet kiss. “Boyfriends? Yes! Yes I want that too.” He smiled and turned his hand over under L’s, squeezing it gently. “It’s just that….well, obviously I’m not _out_ , and that complicates things a little.” He worried his bottom lip with his teeth, feeling a little ashamed he’d been too much of a coward to come out to his family. He went on softly, “I love my family dearly but they are very _traditional_ , and have certain expectations of me. Telling them I’m gay will come as a real shock so I need to think about how to do it the best way.” Light hadn’t thought it would ever really matter since he’d never thought he’d want to be in a relationship, but for the first time, he realized he did. “Until I figure that out, we might have to keep things between us a secret. I hope you can be patient with me?” It pained him a little to say that, he didn’t want L to think he was ashamed of him or of this. But it would go badly if his parents found out through the grapevine of their relationship, opposed to from Light himself. 

L just laughed softly, looking down at their entwined hands as Light explained. _Yeah, I figured it wouldn’t be so simple right away._ “Not to mention what everyone at school might think, right? It’s okay, I can keep a secret.” _As long as I get to be with you._ Squeezing Light’s hand again, he added, “I mean, I don’t want us to be a secret _forever_ , but I understand wanting to do things on your terms, and when you’re comfortable. And I’ll be right here when you’re ready. I know how to be patient when I know I’ve got something good waiting for me.” _And I don’t want you to go through what I went through, so…_ He laughed again, a small thrill going through him at the way Light’s fingers felt against his skin, and taking another bite of his breakfast.

“That’s....thank you for understanding, L.” Light stroked L’s hand gratefully with his thumb before pulling it back to eat a bite of pancake, spearing a berry and swirling it in the whipped cream. “So, where do you want to go tonight?” He couldn’t hold back the twinge of excitement in his voice. He’d endured lots of boring as hell dates with girls but this would be the first time he was going somewhere with a date he was really interested in. “We could...go dancing somewhere, maybe? Gold Finger is pretty good or I’m open to suggestions.” He ate the berry and speared another, bringing it to L’s lips with a smile. “Mmmm, I’d like to see you all dressed up, grind against you in the dark…” _And probably have to drag you off somewhere a little more private when I get too excited._

L hadn’t had any particular plan in mind, his mouth had decided to hijack his brain for a moment there. Propping his chin in his hand, L chewed thoughtfully, watching Light with a curious arch of eyebrows. _He wants to go dancing right away, huh?_ He grinned, taking the proffered berry from Light’s fork before saying with a wicked look in his eye, “Well, I _didn’t_ have anything concrete in mind, but if you’d like to go _dancing_ in particular, I’d rather go to Dragon Men. They play a lot of Top 40 stuff, but they have some really _killer_ dance mixes, too.” He lifted another bite to his mouth, pausing a moment to take a steadying breath before casually adding, “And you’ll be able to see my trashy club clothes if we _do_ go dancing.” _I’d love to be able to show you some of my moves, too, get you good and bothered._ This conversation was _definitely_ not calming his libido.

The news had been on quietly in the background while they’d been eating, but just then a short chime alert played, followed the program switching to a near-frantic looking reporter. “Breaking news! The world-renowned detective Deneuve has just announced that he has shared the identity of Kira with INTERPOL, who is reportedly taking the suspect into custody as I speak!”

Light had been smiling and listening raptly to what L had been saying about the club, but as soon as the news broke, his smile dropped and head snapped towards the television. A soft gasp passed his lips, fork clattering to his plate as he stood up and rushed towards the couch, leaping over the back to grab the remote and turn the volume up louder. He whispered, “Holy shit…” as he sank down onto the leather sectional, wide eyes glued to the screen and leaning forward with laser focus. 

“What?!” L shot up as well, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste to follow Light. “Has that hack finally done his _job_?” 

The reporter went on excitedly, “Deneuve is now giving a press release to the world media, and we will switch to him.”

The screen shifted to an interview room with a man behind a white silk screen, obviously being used to shield his identity from the camera. However, the annoyingly nasally voice seemed all too genuine. “Today, I am happy to announce that I have completed the mission that was entrusted to me by INTERPOL over 2 years ago. An enormous feat which no mere police force could have accomplished, no mere man! I, Pierre Montparnasse Sacrebleu Deneuve, have single-handedly discerned the identity of the most notorious and bloodthirsty killer, Kira!”

That sentence made Light’s blood run cold, and he gripped the leather beneath him, heart nearly beating out of his chest. _Oh my god ...did I underestimate Deneuve?!! Are the police coming for me right NOW?_ He was sweating, but otherwise completely schooled his expression and reactions, acutely aware that L was here watching this too. _No no no!_ He held back his instinct to panic, to scream and rage, and instead kept listening to Deneuve’s endless bluster. The detective was going on and on about what a _feat_ he’d accomplished without giving any real details, until…

“...and the person who has been acting as Kira is a German man, age 44, and is a former school teacher in the Bavaria region. His name is Ralph Häring, and I am pleased to report that INTERPOL has him in custody right now.” Deneuve pressed a button on what appeared to be a laptop behind the white screen, and an inset appeared on the television showing a shocked man being dragged out of his house kicking and screaming. “People of the world, you no longer have to fear from Kira. Deneuve has captured him, and Kira is _no_ god.” Deneuve laughed smugly, mixing with the long string of protests from Häring. “He’s just a sick, sad little man who couldn’t escape justice. MY justice. INTERPOL will provide further updates. My work here is concluded.”

L’s hands clutched the back of the couch as he greedily took in the news, too shocked by this turn of events to pay attention to much else but the screen. The little inset video of Häring made him pause and frown, but it was gone before he could pinpoint what was _off_ about it. He was breathing hard as he finally moved to sit on the couch, limbs shaking with shock, and no little amount of irritation as the reporter rehashed everything. _It was supposed to be ME who would figure Kira out, not this asshole. Dammit!_

The screen switched back to the regular news, and to a reporter who looked just as unprepared and shocked as Light probably did. The reporter shuffled her papers and coughed, looking for her teleprompt before basically rehashing what Deneuve had said. 

Light could only gape in amazed, furious silence, before whispering, “He’s wrong!” _They’ve got an innocent man!_

Light’s whisper caught his attention, and L shot him a confused look. “Sorry?” Though he had missed what Light _said_ , the furious expression on his face was so incongruous with what _should_ have been _good_ news… that for a moment, L wasn’t sure if he was seeing things right or not. “Wait, what? Light, what are you _saying_ ?” _Why is he so mad? Was he hoping to unmask Kira as well?_

Light turned to look at L, finally snapping out of his daze, “No, it’s just….” He took a couple of breaths, letting the shock fade as he realized what L had heard him mumble. “...I guess Deneuve’s Kira didn’t fit the profile I’d kind of, um, constructed in my mind.” Light’s heart rate was slowing again as he realized _he_ was safe, but the guilt was crushing him now thinking what an innocent man would face as a Kira suspect at the hands of vindictive, curious police. It angered him immensely that Deneuve was _obviously_ lying, either too foolish to realize he had the wrong person, or worse, was purposefully framing Häring just to end the case. _Would even Deneuve sink to such a level?!_

But he’d said he thought Deneuve was wrong-- out loud-- and now he needed to backpedal. Running his hands through his hair, he leaned back on the couch and muted the TV. “Think about it. A middle-aged, former school teacher has eluded the worldwide police for _two years_ ? And doesn’t it seem a little odd how he was reacting? I mean, Kira has been brazen against all authority and self-assured, calm in the little we’ve seen of them. They’re _used_ to getting away with everything at this point, used to being treated like a deity, even. I would have imagined that no matter what happened, Kira would have been perfectly contained, trying to think through how they were going to get out of that situation versus making a fool of themselves on TV in front of all of their followers.” Light tossed the remote aside, a slight frown appearing on his face. He knew that _he’d_ never react like that, but then that was because he wasn’t a shocked, falsely-accused person being drug from their home. 

L’s mouth dropped partially open in surprise at what Light was saying, because he had just been trying to ask what Light had _said_ … but also because it surprised him that Light hadn’t shared his thoughts about a Kira profile with him before now. _Holding out on me, huh?_ The smile that flickered across his face disappeared almost immediately, especially when Light began explaining his reasoning for thinking Häring was innocent. “I noticed Häring’s reaction was too…” Pausing, L thought back to what he’d seen, and though he didn’t quite have an eidetic memory, his recall for visual details was _usually_ around 90% or higher. Softer, “ _Far_ too genuine for him to be the real Kira. I _knew_ there was something off, I just… it went by so fast that I couldn’t tell what I was seeing.”

Light got up, pacing with his arms crossed, looking out the window as if he half expected all that to be a ruse and helicopters were about to land on the roof of this building. Reluctantly, he muttered, “I suppose Deneuve could be right, but if you ask me, that man is not Kira and he may have terrible things in store for him if someone doesn’t realize that quick.”

L’s eyes followed Light as he paced, marveling inwardly as he went back over everything Light had said. The profile that Light put forth sounded _rather_ close to the rudimentary profile L had started constructing, _himself_ , over the last semester, and if he’d had more time between his various jobs and schoolwork to work on it, he probably would have been able to refine it a lot more. “Interesting… you and I have similar thoughts about what Kira is like.” _Your thoughts seem a little more put together than mine._ He glanced back at the screen, but the reporters weren’t saying anything else interesting. “I must have been caught up in the excitement. You’re right.” _If that man is Kira, I’ll eat my shorts._ “Think anyone else will notice the discrepancy?” _Maybe I should take a closer look at all of Kira’s reported kills again and figure out what the pattern is. Every killer has a pattern._

Light stopped at the window, huffing softly, “Well, I mentioned Aizawa had me editing his asinine book, right? Just so happens the topic of said book is his theories on the Kira case.” He smiled wryly, delighting at the clear, quiet skies. _No one is coming. I’m still in the clear._ “Every single one of his theories are dreck of course.” He waved a hand dismissively, “Kira being an ancient alien seems to be his pet theory of the moment. But as much as I hate having to read his shitty prose, it’s given me a lot of time to think about that case, and he’s had access to police resources. Even had some correspondence with Deneuve himself.” He chuckled quietly, silently berating himself for ever thinking that an imbecile like Deneuve could even come close to him. “Trust me when I say that he’s just as much of a poseur and a hack as you already suspect. I can show you the emails later when you want a good laugh.”

_I remember you saying that._ “Uh huh, you mentioned that slop, alright,” L said with a laugh, tugging one knee up to his chest as his gaze continued to follow Light around the room. Personally, though he didn’t _actually_ put any stock in the alien theory, it sounded like it would be a good plot for a paranormal mystery or something. “Wait, Aizawa’s been in contact with Deneuve? I _need_ to see those emails now!” The tidbit about Aizawa having access to police resources interested him _greatly_. His heart began pounding as he wondered just how _much_ access Aizawa had. _Does he have details the public isn’t privy to?!_ That would be _hugely_ beneficial to his own analysis if he could get his hands on that information.

It bothered Light greatly that someone else--someone innocent-- was pinned as Kira. Not only because of what that meant for Häring’s future, but because Light _hated_ the idea of anyone else getting credit for his works, his schemes, his ability to hide. The words Deneuve had called him still made him see red when recalled, and the only thing that was keeping him from having a nice internal temper tantrum was the wild thrill that once again, _he’d gotten away with everything_. 

He brought a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle the tiny giggle that thought brought forth, and slowly slid his gaze to L. Suddenly he felt much more powerful, even more than he had a moment ago. Deneuve was so damned stumped he was pulling lies down from the sky just to cover his ass, even though even he had to know that the _real_ Kira would be furious and rain fire and brimstone on his head. When the killings didn’t stop, and Light would make sure they _escalated_ , Deneuve would be shown to be the fraud he was. But in the meantime, maybe he could encourage L’s interest in the case to free an innocent man. Even when the killings didn’t stop, Deneuve would insist he was right and INTERPOL may put the screws to Häring. They needed to approach this from both sides. L proving the innocence, Light ramping up his activity as Kira and perhaps even issuing a statement for the very first time to the world.

He kept his eyes on L and moved back to the couch, scooting closer to the man until their bodies were nearly touching. Light draped an arm over the back of the couch behind L, leaning in to say, “I said it before, but I _know_ you could do a better job than Deneuve. Maybe we could even collaborate, hmm? I’ll show you my theories, you show me yours.” 

L would have asked Light right away about what Aizawa _knew_ … but now, Light was looking at him like he’d been looking at those pancakes earlier, sliding close to him on the couch and leaning in to speak _right_ in his ear. His breath caught in his throat, and his gaze slid away as his heart rate sped up rapidly now. _Jesus. Does he want to talk about the case, or does he want to fuck?_ “Are we sharing theories, or…” 

Light leaned closer, brushing his lips over L’s jaw and up to his earlobe, giving it a teasing lick. “An innocent man’s life hangs in the balance and maybe we can do something about it. Wouldn’t that feel good?” His hand stroked up L’s thigh, inching closer to his crotch but hovering just away from it. “I bet we could do more in a week than Deneuve has accomplished in two years.” Light’s hand moved slightly higher, testing to see whether L was getting excited.

The feel of soft lips against his jaw and the teasing lick to his ear drew a sharp breath from L, and he found himself distracted from what Light was saying by the way his hand was inching higher up L’s thigh. Shuddering from the rush of arousal that went through him, he said in a soft voice, “Yeah… yeah, I would definitely be up for, uhh… for showing him up, and clearing Häring’s name. But first-” Cutting himself off, L turned towards Light and reached to cup his face in his hands, surging forward and kissing him hungrily. 

Light pulled back slightly, smiling and just about to reply when L’s lips crashed into his. In an instant, he’d forgotten everything he’d wanted to say, and discussing theories could wait until _far_ later. He was riding the high of survival, the rush that only the pardoned could know, just as hungrily devouring L’s mouth as he slid into the man’s lap. L tasted delicious, of pancakes and chocolate and strawberries with cream, and Light was so ravenous, drugged with the adrenaline pumping through his veins. The way L’s tongue was stroking over his made his cock throb, imagining that talented mouth put to other purposes. As much as L was always playing with his mouth, or whatever was _in_ his mouth, Light had fantasized about it so many times.

L had no idea what, _exactly_ , had gotten into Light, but he _certainly_ wasn’t going to complain when Light was kissing him back so eagerly, the warm weight of him in L’s lap making him throb. He slid his hands into Light’s hair, shifting under him for more friction, a low, muffled moan leaving him as their tongues intertwined. 

Light moved to hurriedly yank down his pajama pants, pulling his cock out and pressing his hips against L’s stomach as he slid closer. He finally broke the kiss, breathless as he pushed his fingers into L’s hair and rose on his knees. 

The sudden onslaught of hormones was making L a little dizzy, and when Light pressed closer, he could _feel_ how turned on the man was, the silky slide of his erection pressing against L’s bare stomach and _oh fuck_ , he couldn’t even think of anything but getting Light completely naked again and getting his mouth on every inch of Light’s body.

Light’s fingers clenched in L’s hair as he bent the man’s head back to look up at him, “That mouth of yours…” He exhaled as he stared at plush lips, moving his thumb to ghost along L’s bottom lip and press inside. “I _want_ it.” Light’s thumb stroked across L’s tongue, pressing down to open his mouth wider, “Give it to me.” 

A whine left L when Light broke the kiss, panting harshly as his head was yanked back, hands falling to rest at Light’s naked hips. “Oh _shit,_ ” he whispered, unable to look away from that impressive erection staring him in the face now before flicking his wide eyed gaze up into Light’s. Seeing the way that the man was staring at his mouth, just _hearing_ that tone of voice, had L squirming, and his breath caught when Light’s thumb _pressed_ down on his tongue so sensually. His fingers clenched at Light’s hips, kneading and stroking, and he nodded emphatically when the man issued that low command.

Light kept the pressure on L’s tongue as he moved his hips forward, replacing his thumb with his cock and sliding slowly deeper in that warm wet space. “ _Fuck…_.” 

It was _such_ a turn on that Light had taken L at his word to ‘pounce’ whenever he wanted, and L couldn’t help the strangled, aroused noise that left him as Light slid into his mouth, eyes fluttering shut from the erotic sensation of having his mouth so _full_. He shuddered and slid his hands around to squeeze at the globes of Light’s ass, swallowing around his cock reflexively. 

Light shuddered as the brand new sensations overwhelmed him, because of course he’d _imagined_ getting a blowjob before but it felt so much better than he could have dreamed. He pulled back, the tip of his cock just beyond L’s lips now. “Do you want it?”

L let out a disgruntled whine when Light pulled out. _Do I want… Is he serious?_ He stared at Light unblinking for a moment and found himself giggling, gaze dropping to just appreciate the man’s cock for a moment as he licked his lips. _I’m not going to be able to fit all of him in my mouth, guaranteed._ “Nope… don’t want it at _all_ ,” he teased, glancing back up at Light intently before deliberately reaching to stroke him and leaning forward to tease his tongue around the head, trailing up and down the shaft lightly, licking away a bead of precum from the slit. 

Light snorted at L’s bratty commentary, grinning down at him, “Yes, I’m sure it will be a real chore.” 

_Shit, I hope I don’t fuck this up._ “Not sure how good I’ll be, but if you want my _mouth_ so bad, I’ll do my best,” L murmured, lips curving up into an eager smile before taking Light in again, watching Light’s face as he bobbed shallowly.

Light’s grin fell away quickly when L reached to stroke and lick him, his lips parting as he whined. “ _Oh shit_ ...yes, I want it so bad…” He released L’s hair and leaned over him to grab the back of the couch, content to let L move and bob as he wished. It felt so incredible and looked so damn erotic, that Light was certain he’d have this image branded into his mind whenever L played with his mouth from now on. _That’s going to be inconvenient when we’re in class together but I don’t care._ His hips stuttered forward as L began to bob, and Light was throbbing in the man’s mouth, panting soft moans and trying to hold back from choking him since he _definitely_ wanted this to happen again. He couldn’t believe L had worried about how _good_ he would be. 

It took a minute for L to really find a rhythm that Light seemed to _love_ , but when he _did_ , all he could think of was how _hot_ it would be for Light to come down his throat. Moreover, he could _feel_ the tension in Light’s body that said the man was trying not to thrust into his mouth, and that alone was erotic enough to pull a muffled whine from him, marveling over how little time it took to get Light to the edge.

It didn’t take long for Light to get to the edge of orgasm, and it didn’t help that the TV behind him was still talking about the Kira case intermittently, making him giggle darkly at the private joke he was having. All the relief and triumph of getting away with it made him feel invincible, godlike. He gasped as L sucked hard, one hand going to clench the chain at L’s neck and pull himself deeper into L’s mouth. “Oh-hhh, oh _fuck_ L, I’m going to come if you don’t stop...and…” He winced with the mental effort needed to move his hips back and slide out of L’s mouth, holding L’s head back with his grip on the chain. “...and I wanted to fuck you.” 

L’s gaze settled on Light’s again as he slid down on him as far as he comfortably could and sucked _hard_ , only to gag slightly when Light grabbed the chain and tugged him down _more_. _Shit, I wasn’t ready for that!_ Eyes watering a little, L took a deep breath through his nose as Light pulled out, staring up at him and panting with the effort not to cough, a satisfied smile flickering onto his lips at how much Light obviously wanted to come. Squeezing his ass again, L teased with a laugh, “But you said you wanted my mouth.” _I’m not going to turn down getting fucked again, who am I kidding._

  
Light breathed for a moment, cock needily twitching in front of L’s lips, before releasing his grip and standing, walking back towards his room with a smirk on his face. “Bring your toys. And the _cuffs_.”


	11. Zawa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light celebrates his secret triumph of evading detection by Deneuve, and he and L start work right away on their plan to prove Deneuve has the wrong Kira suspect. L impresses him with his deductions about the real Kira, and they read several surprising letters related to the case.

L licked his lips, staring after Light as he walked off towards the bedrooms, and he couldn’t help but moan at the images that went through his head. _Bring the CUFFS? Oh shit, is he going to cuff me to his bed and fuck me like THAT?_ He scrambled up off the couch, hurrying after Light and making a brief pit stop into his own bedroom to retrieve everything. The scant armful of toys was dumped unceremoniously onto Light’s bed before L turned back to Light and pounced on him, tugging him into an eager kiss before pulling back and grinning, “I haven’t gotten to use the cuffs yet. What are you going to do?”

Light kissed him back passionately, taking the opportunity to let his hand drift to the front of L’s cutoff jeans and squeezing the bulge he found there. He loved that L got so aroused just from sucking him off, and grinned at L’s question when the man pulled back, “Why should I spoil the surprise? Don’t you trust me?” The devious glint in his eye probably meant that L _shouldn’t_ trust him, but Light would make sure L had no complaints. His hands encircled L’s thin wrists and he backed him up to the edge of the bed, licking and nipping at L’s lips swollen from sucking him. 

A muffled moan left L when he felt fingers squeezing around his clothed erection, and he couldn’t even _answer_ Light’s question before he was being backed up to the big bed, overwhelmed by Light’s nipping kisses and the anticipation of whatever the man was planning on _doing_.

When L fell back on the bed, Light crawled on top of him, pulling his arms up to the head of the bed and encouraging L to scoot up too. He fumbled for the cuffs as he kissed L and sucked on his tongue, snapping them on one wrist, looping them through the large iron bar of the headboard, and securing his other wrist. That done, Light leaned back on his knees straddling L, smiling as he surveyed his prey. The sight of L chained to his bed made his already aching erection throb, and he panted, “Looks like you’re at my mercy now.” 

L barely even had time to register the way the silk felt against his skin before Light was _on_ him, and he unthinkingly scooted back at the encouragement, too caught up in the rush of Light’s kisses to realize what was happening until he felt the cold metal close around one wrist. It was a startling sensation, even though he’d been half expecting it, and when the cuff snapped closed around his other wrist, L let out a whine into Light’s mouth, pouting hard when the man pulled back and tugging at the cuffs experimentally. _Oh, they’re good and tight, I won’t be going ANYWHERE._ That thought made his heart pound, and his cock twitched in his jeans as he gazed at Light with his lips parted, breathing harshly and wriggling desperately under the man at the spike of need that went through him at the thought of being at Light’s ‘mercy’.

Light leaned down and licked a long line up the middle of L’s stomach and chest, trailing nearly frantic bites back down to his hips. He quickly undid L’s fly and pulled the shorts down, tossing them aside. He licked his lips at L’s erection, flicking his gaze up as he trailed just the tip of his tongue from the base to the tip, holding L’s legs apart and down as he slowly lapped and swirled his tongue around the sensitive head. 

“Light-” L started, only to cut himself off with a strangled noise at the way Light was licking and biting down his body. “Oh _Jesus_ , you are so fucking _hot_ ,” he whined, giggling a little breathlessly at the speed with which Light divested him of his shorts. And as grateful as he was for the lack of constriction, he was even _happier_ when Light immediately bent to tease his erection. 

L had no choice but to endure whatever teasing Light chose to inflict, and he’d made sure the cuffs were on tight. Light bobbed once all the way down L’s cock, humming with the interesting sensation of it pressing against the back of his throat. He sucked hard as he moved his head back up, pressing L’s legs down to the bed firmly to keep him still as he suckled the head and let it fall back down with a wet slap. 

Everything Light was doing felt _incredible_ , and _looked_ even sexier, and L could do nothing but stare raptly with the way Light was holding his legs down, letting out a strangled moan and body tensing up slightly when Light took him in all the way. “ _Shit,_ Light!” 

L had brought in a smaller dildo as well as the large one, and Light released his grip to turn and pick it up, smiling at L knowingly. “It’s a lot smaller than I am. Might make an interesting contrast.” He grabbed the lube and slicked the toy as well as his own cock, nudging it against L’s entrance until it slipped inside. _Fuck, it’s so hot to see something inside him._

Panting, L shook his head, laughing again as he said, “Your mouth feels _amazing_ , why do you keep stopping?” Not that he minded much, because it seemed clear that Light had _other_ plans, and his breath caught again when Light picked up the smaller dildo. “Mmmm, I actually don’t use that one much, anymore, to be honest, I might have a bit of a _thing_ for big dicks.” His gaze dropped to Light’s erection pointedly before giving him a sly grin, licking his lips, voice breaking a little as Light pressed the dildo inside him. “Not that I’ve-- haaaa, _nngh_ \--” His eyes squeezed shut for a moment, writhing slightly from the stimulation before going on in a breathy tone, “Haven’t _had_ any in me aside from you and the monster over there.”

Light laughed at the quip about ‘big dicks,’ thinking L would get one quite soon, after he’d had a little fun with L’s body first, of course. He worked the toy in and out, then pressed it to the flared base and let L’s muscles hold it in. Crawling back over L’s body, he leaned down to kiss L hungrily, holding himself up with one hand while grasping L’s cock with the other and sliding his erection against L’s in a mimicry of fucking. _I’ll fuck you for real soon enough._

L shut up when Light kissed him again, and between the warmth of Light’s body hovering over his and the slide of their erections together, L was writhing against him again, little moans escaping into the kiss from the way his _own_ movement was pressing the dildo just slightly into his prostate. It wasn’t enough stimulation on it’s own, but it was enough along with everything else, that he was going to fall apart sooner rather than later if Light didn’t just fuck him _now._

Light could tell from the way L was writhing beneath him and pushing his hips up that the man wanted _more_ , but he was content to take his time and draw it out, grinning into their kiss and relishing all the powerful feelings the morning had contained. _I’m safe, I’m still free. Thank fuck they hired that idiot Deneuve!_ Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore either, trembling now with how much he wanted to be inside of L. He pressed their erections together with a loud groan into L’s shoulder, panting as he sat back and dropped his grip in favor of slowly removing the dildo inside L. 

Everything Light was doing was _agonizingly_ hot, to the point that L was straining against the cuffs for more friction, moaning loudly into the kiss when he could feel Light trembling against him. Exhaling hard, he stared up at Light through heavy lidded eyes, licking his lips and letting his eyes trail over Light’s body before smiling eagerly, squirming when the dildo was _finally_ removed. “ _Please_ fuck me, Light,” he said in a hush, acutely aware of just _how_ on edge he was, throbbing and body practically thrumming with arousal. It felt like the slightest touch in just the right spot would set him off, _or maybe even something as simple as a look_ , he thought, shuddering at the thrill that smile sent through him.

Light gave him an evil little smile as he tossed the toy aside, lining himself up in its place. He let just the tip slip in and then back out, moving to lean over L and stare into his eyes as he pushed himself in an inch at a time with a moan. He wanted L to feel the stretch, feel the difference, and his eyes closed in concentration at the effort to _not_ come right away in that tight, velvety place. 

“ _Light…_ ” L didn’t even finish the beg the second time, gasping and body going taut as he felt Light’s cock nudging at him before forcing himself to relax, unable to look away from that intense gaze trained on his as Light pressed inside. For a moment, he almost wished that Light had just shoved inside, because this slow press felt _incredible_ , and by the time Light was fully _in_ , L was panting and biting down on his lip _hard_ with the effort to _not_ come right away. 

Light whispered as he started to move, “Oh _fuck_...you feel so good. _Damn_ I love your body.” 

That compliment took L’s breath away, and he smiled happily up at him, exhaling hard and wrapping his legs around Light’s waist as he murmured, “ _You_ feel amazing, Light.”

Light pushed his arms beneath L’s restrained body, thrusting slowly and varying the angle until he found L’s prostate, and then fucking slick and fast when he had. He felt so close to L and not just physically, but like he too was sharing his moment of secret triumph, and he’d always be a part of it now. _The day they ‘caught’ Kira._

A breathy whimper left L as Light began thrusting experimentally into him, and he moaned out, “Do whatever you _want_ to my body, _fuck_ , I love it.” A jolt of pure _need_ went through him when Light finally hit the right angle, and he clenched around the man, crying out an exhilarated ‘ _yesss!_ ’ and rolling his hips down to get _more_ of that feeling. 

Light started laughing hard as he pounded into L, unable to stop himself now that he was so _close_ and the walls that usually masked his emotions torn away. L would probably think him insane, but Light didn’t care. He _fooled_ them, and the only thing better than that feeling, was _this_ one.

Light wasted no time being slow and tender, pounding into L fast, almost brutal, and though he half registered that Light was _laughing_ in a way that might normally make him pause, it didn’t _matter_ right now so long as it felt _this good_ , so long as Light kept hitting _that spot, right there_ , and- _Oh holy FUCK!_ L’s eyes shot open wide as he felt that telltale jolt, his entire body tensing for a moment before he was writhing in Light’s arms, shooting between them with a loud scream.

As soon as he felt L clenching around him, it was impossible for Light to hold back another moment, his laughter devolving into low gasps of “Ahhh...L...L…” as he released inside the man. He buried his face in L’s neck as he pumped his hips a few more times, wanting to be skin to skin and feel L’s heartbeat hammering like his own. He whispered, “That was so good,” when he could finally catch his breath to speak, nuzzling his lips against L’s cheek until L turned his head and they could kiss. 

Shuddering in the aftermath, L began laughing softly as he came down from the high of orgasm, only stopping when he turned his head into Light’s insistent kiss. _Adorable. How can he be so AGGRESSIVE and sexy one minute, and then turn around and be sweet and adorable?_ “You’re so cute,” he said, trying not to smile so big.

Light was lost in the afterglow, and it was a few moments of lazy kissing before he realized L probably wanted to be unlocked from the bed. He pulled back with a half-drunk smile on his face, “Oh, one second and I’ll get those off.” But as he reached up to fiddle with them, it was apparent they were not toy cuffs with a spring release but real ones that needed a key. Light giggled and looked down sheepishly, “Um...guess I’ll need the key, huh?” He was still inside L at this point and had been putting off pulling out, wanting to snuggle like this a little longer, but he wanted L’s arms around him too. 

When Light pulled back to undo the cuffs, L had to blink, opening his mouth to correct him before grinning instead, only starting to giggle when Light realized his mistake. Tugging at the cuffs again, he teased, “Did you really think I would get _toy_ cuffs?” For a sex thing, come to think of it, he probably _should_ have, but when he’d bought them, he’d had vague thoughts of _also_ using them to teach himself how to get _out_ of cuffs if a situation ever arose that he needed to, but he had always put off doing it because of lack of time or better things to _do_ with his time. 

Light snorted, shaking his head, “No, of _course_ I should have assumed they were real. You like things to be authentic, right?” He leaned up to grab a handful of tissues from the box the nightstand and managed to pull out with a minimum of mess on his sheets. 

Watching Light’s sheepish expression was fun, and L wiggled a little under the man, beaming up at him. A low whimper left him as Light pulled out, “Yeah, you’ll need the key. I don’t know how to get out of them yet.”

“I still need to wash _your_ sheets after the mess I made last night. I better keep one of our beds clean.” Light stood up on slightly shaky legs, grinning at how they were both covered in L’s come now since Light had laid right down in it. _Oops._

L tilted his head curiously at him before asking in a soft voice, “Can we not put your sheets in the wash at the same time as mine?” A smirk spread across his lips as he let his gaze wander down Light’s naked, come streaked body, cock twitching weakly at the erotic sight. _Jesus, he really IS hot._ “Or is that an excuse to get me to move into your room, not putting my sheets in the laundry until just before bed?” Honestly, he was only teasing, but the thought also appealed greatly. _We’ll see. I’ll need my own space to study for ONE of my classes, at the very least._

A stricken look came over Light’s face at the mention of tossing his precious silk sheets into the washer like a burlap sack. “L! You can’t wash silk like that!” He grinned and shook his head, laughing to himself, “No no. I let the dry cleaning services take care of most of my laundry, including that. I still use the washer here for t-shirts or jeans, though.” It was amusing how similar they were in some ways and how different in others. 

A startled expression crossed L’s face at that protest and he shrugged, giggling. “I’ve… never had silk sheets, so… I didn’t know. Sounds like basically my entire wardrobe can go in the washer, I don’t have the kind of nice clothes you have.” _Oh, except my club clothes._

“Okay, where’s that key?” Light rummaged in the sheets until he found the little metal key, climbing over L to unlock the cuffs from his wrists and put them on the nightstand. He murmured as he leaned to turn the key, “Happy to help you practice getting out of them anytime.” He had a feeling that would probably only lead to L not trying very hard. He cleaned them both up with a few more tissues, enough so he could get back in bed and curl himself around L’s warm body. He wanted to talk more about working together to free the man Deneuve had pinned as Kira, but he didn’t want to seem overeager about it either. 

When the cuffs came off, L waited patiently for Light to clean them both up before stretching languidly and letting out contented hum when the man curled around him, wrapping his arms around Light in return. He pressed a soft kiss to Light’s forehead and then his cheek before murmuring, “That was really hot.” _And… kind of random._

After Light was sighing happily into L’s side, he said, “You know, I actually really would like it if you slept in my room. My bed’s nicer anyway, isn’t it? There’s more room in here. _I’m_ in here.” He giggled and motioned to the enormous tank, “You could get to know Flotsam and Jetsam and Ursula better. Are any of these sales pitches working?” He lifted his head to smile adoringly at L before laying back down on his shoulder. 

L just laughed loudly at Light’s offer, his heart pounding and exhaling a little heavier than normal. He hadn’t actually been _expecting_ it. _He really DID mean it when he said he cares about me, I just… damn, I should really stop assuming things, he clearly likes my teasing suggestions._ He beamed at each of Light’s ‘sales pitches’, that adoring look on Light’s face making his stomach flip flop happily. _I want to, Light, you don’t have to convince me._ “Yeah…” He hugged Light tightly, fingers stroking idly up and down his back now as he beamed. “Yeah, you had me at you liking it if I slept in here.” A giggle left him, because that sounded a little awkward, but it was the truth.

L’s arms tightened around him slightly, and he looked away for a moment, biting his lip. _Is his wanting to do something about this Kira thing going to affect us going out later?_ He hadn’t even meant to _ask_ for a date, sure, and it was _exciting_ to have a real world problem to apply everything he had learned to… and there was no way to be sure how time sensitive the situation was. _We aren’t going to solve it in a day, come on…_ “This whole fake Kira thing just became more important than a date… But I’d still love to go out dancing with you at some point this week. When do _you_ want to go?” 

Light was glad when L brought up the fake Kira situation, because of course it was on his mind. “Hmmm. I don’t think we need to postpone going out. It’s even not that late.” He peeked at the clock, which read 11:03 am. “We could work on it this afternoon a little while and go out later tonight. Rome wasn’t built in a day.” _And I have a feeling it may take a little time to prove his innocence in a way that leaves me 100% safe._

“Really?” L laughed delightedly at that, grinning especially wide when Light echoed his thoughts, albeit in a more poetic way. “I mean, this is exactly the kind of thing I’ve been studying for, so I’d love to be able to actually do something _real_ with it, and if we can get an innocent man out of trouble in the process… I just assumed we’d jump right into it, is all, and, uhhh… I tend to get pretty absorbed when I’m in the zone.” He tugged Light up into a fierce kiss, intending to let it end naturally. Finally, he whispered, “Also, I love that we have such similar thoughts. Can you read minds?” He giggled, knowing that likely wasn’t even a real thing.

There was a problem though, and it wasn’t the fake Kira. Light had promised Ryuk in his half-sleepy state that he would write some tonight, and the shinigami would hold him to his word. There was also the issue that he’d kept Ryuk’s large stash of apples in his room, in a bowl by the window, and the shinigami wouldn’t really like Light moving it if L decided to start sleeping in his room. _Sometimes I forget I already have a housemate. I’ll just have to tell Ryuk to eat them on the sly when L’s not looking._

Stretching, L nuzzled Light’s cheek before murmuring, “I don’t know about _you_ , but I need a shower, and I’d love to finish breakfast. Maybe you can show me those emails you were telling me about after we eat?”

After they’d showered and finally finished their breakfast (the whipped cream was mostly melted, but overall it still tasted delicious), Light brought his _school_ laptop to the dining room table and opened up the slew of disorganized emails from Deneuve that Aizawa had shared with him. He turned the screen slightly towards L, snickering, “So, first of all, Deneuve has the grammar and spelling ability of kindergartener, but once you get past that there’s a few kernels of interesting information in them.” He clicked open the first one, “Don’t get your hopes up though.”

_Zawa!_

_Not sure how u survivn in dredfell Toto. To think of yr sad sad dayz schoolin idiot kids lmao I just feel srry 4 ya man ahahaha. Yeah just cruzin’ on teh Riveera wit some babes havin the tme of my life on my yat and thot you’d like a shout out for yr book. Hope its mad loaded with grt quotes by yrs truly of course. I can send ya some if needed. But cuz ya asked I’ll throw ya a bone, k? The POL sayin that Kira’s more active during certain times of day. Prolly just his alien mind tricks if ya ask me, we both know Kira can send the squiggly waves anytime and zap ya. That’s why I don’t let any1 see my gorjus mug, I mean I don’t need more babes got me? Ahahaha maybe I do but still, don’t wanna be zapped. ANYWAY they say it lines up with daylight in some pts of Asia, and esp afternoon and early nithgt. I told em I’d think abt it. Thnking about it now in the sun man! Stay chil and trim your fro. Peace out_

_-D_

Light was giggling madly, looking between the screen and L. “So you see what I’ve been given to work with here. This email was from a couple months ago. But look at this one.” He clicked open another, dated more recently.

_Zawa, my man!_

_Uhg I gt the worts hangover rt now but just wanted to tell ya forget that shit about when Kira’s active. I looked into it and seems like they just zap whnever so like that was bad intel from teh POL like I expeceted any better. Don’t bother with it in your book. And yah man I’ll write yr forward, but uh is there like a wrd limit or smth cause i do’t like constrictns got me? Alright gotta catch a wave. Peace out_

_-D_

Light’s giggling had quieted, and his expression was more neutral now. There was a large risk in showing this to L, a non-idiot, who he hoped would put two and two together here but not infer _too_ much (namely, anything about Light). First, identifying that Kira was likely active somewhere in Asia and not Germany like the current suspect, and second, that Kira had the ability to change up their pattern of kills thus displaying quite a lot of flexibility in their power to kill, and in adapting to police knowledge. Would a rural school teacher be able to get access to such information? _No._ He looked to L questioningly, “So, any thoughts?”

At first, L found the writing _hilarious_ , especially the way Deneuve seemed to like calling Aizawa _‘Zawa’,_ but by the end of the second email, he was pinching the bridge of his nose and frowning hard. “Jesus. My first thought is this guy needs to grow the fuck _up_.” _And coming from ME, that’s saying something._ “I’m getting a headache just reading his shit and trying to decipher it.” 

It hadn’t been a total loss, though. Glancing over at Light with a thoughtful expression, he leaned his chin in his hand as he went through all the information dropped again. “Okay, so the first thing that jumped out at me is that… it seems my personal theory that Kira needs a name and a face to kill is likely correct, since this moron is soooooo worried about getting-” He snorted, rolling his eyes and making air quotes as he continued, “- ‘ _zapped_ ’ for showing his face. And… that makes me think that he _knows_ he has the wrong guy, or he wouldn’t have been hiding behind a screen on that news broadcast earlier.” There _was_ the possibility that Deneuve just wasn’t taking chances, but he didn’t seem to be _that_ cautious a person. _No… I think this asshole KNOWS. Which means he might have deliberately framed Häring just to get a collar._ That thought was highly disturbing for multiple reasons, but L pushed it aside to focus on the other important tidbits that he’d noticed.

“And what he said about the times… Why would he bring up Asia and then completely ignore that and say the real Kira is in Germany?” L was frowning hard at that, because he hadn’t made that connection, only able to follow patterns from the kills that Japanese news reported, or articles he saw online… but there were _so_ many articles coming out about Kira at any given time that it was nearly impossible to stay completely and _accurately_ updated. “I mean, he specifically says that INTERPOL was able to figure out that Kira’s timetable was _mostly_ afternoons and evenings _in Asia_ , and then says, ‘Oh no, scratch that, he can kill at any time’, but to me… that doesn’t scream ‘ _INTERPOL are idiots_ ’ so much as it says that they might have been onto something… and Kira was able to find out and change his schedule accordingly.” _Shit. That kind of information would be hard to get unless Kira is a part of INTERPOL… or has access to that information in some other, underhanded, way._ “If Kira was somehow able to access confidential information, that implies that they are likely good with computers as part of their _job_ , or that they are a hacker as a hobby… or that someone on the inside has been leaking information to them. And Häring does not strike me as having _any_ of those qualifiers.”

Light didn’t interrupt as L made his deductions, and it was a toss up between feeling impressed and downright _thrilled_. It was important to make sure L figured things out on his own and that Light wasn’t leading him _too_ much, that would be suspicious. He nearly blurted out, ‘Too bad it’s not you instead of Deneuve, we could have had fun,’ but instead just cleared his throat and looked back to the screen. 

L was getting a little _too_ close in his deduction that Kira likely had superior hacking skills and/or access to police resources, but both of those details may help to exonerate Häring so he didn’t dispute them overtly. “Häring seems unlikely to be a hacker capable of infiltrating INTERPOL, but I’m going to dig more into the man’s life later before we make that call. There’s also the fact that Deneuve is a huge blabbermouth. He’s leaked things to Aizawa and that could mean others. It’s hard to know who he might have told sensitive information to. Kira _could_ have heard about INTERPOL’s timing theory from him, unfortunately.” _And that’s exactly what happened._

Chewing on his lip, L nodded slowly. “Yeah, we should definitely look into Häring and make sure he _doesn’t_ have some secret hacker agenda or something. And I suppose there _is_ the possibility that Deneuve has somehow been in contact with Kira without knowing it. He probably has to be in contact with a number of people at any given time, I bet it’s _impossible_ to keep tabs on everyone at all times.” _Unless he has a large team working with him, but if he did, surely SOMEONE would have pointed out his oversights by now._

Light was even more impressed that L had deduced that Kira needed a face and a name, even if it wasn’t 100% true in all cases. Ryuk had offered him a deal in the early weeks after getting the notebook— shinigami eyes in exchange for half Light’s remaining years. He hadn’t taken it, the price was much too steep and he was doing fine with his technological resources. But it didn’t mean it wasn’t in the realm of possibility that he’d take the deal in dire circumstances. L had no reason to know _that._ “Kira has primarily focused on people shown on the news or in databases, so I think that hunch of needing a face and a name holds up. It would explain Deneuve’s reluctance to show his uh, gorgeous mug to the world, especially if he thinks Kira is still out there.”

L looked at Light sharply, and he _did_ laugh then as he watched Light’s face, amused by the similarity of their thoughts. “Yeah, I did notice that. It may not be exactly the same all across the board, but all of Kira’s kills that _I’ve_ read about have been people who were either notorious criminals who were plastered over the news, or like you said, in databases that showed that information, and I’ve noticed that there have been some criminals who are still at large who either go by aliases, or _don’t_ have pictures of themselves plastered all over the internet, so…” L’s smile finally widened. “It feels pretty good to have _that_ theory essentially confirmed, is all.”

Which led Light to his next point, “I agree completely that Deneuve knows this collar is a fake, but then why make such a fuss and show the suspect on TV? It’s like _inviting_ the real Kira to kill Häring…” Light trailed off, his eyes going wide as the realization struck. He whispered, “That’s exactly what they want. Häring’s bait, a guinea pig they’ve probably got hooked up to wires and monitored by scientists right now. It would be the first time they’d have in their hands someone who they nearly _knew_ would be a target. Because Kira wouldn’t let that stand, right? Someone praised as a god by society would take it as insulting, especially after all the things Deneuve said about them.” _Oh shit, and I nearly fell for it! I was so angry, if L hadn’t been there, I might have dashed to my note and written it._

L’s smile faded away as Light trailed off, tilting his head curiously at the man and paying close attention to what he was saying now. _He_ hadn’t thought of that aspect, but that was partially because he still didn’t quite have a good enough grasp on Light’s profile of Kira, and it was different enough from the one he was still refining with this new information that he hadn’t quite integrated everything yet. It made a certain amount of sense, though. _If it were me in Deneuve’s spot, what would I do?_ L was silent for a long moment, turning the broadcast over in his mind again with that new idea and shaking his head as a chill went through him. “Damn… I wonder whose idea it was to do _that_ ? That’s… actually a pretty good play.” _I wonder if there’s any way to find out how far the broadcast was spread, or if it was localized. If it were ME, I would target it until I potentially got a reaction from Kira._ Exhaling hard, he breathed, “I wonder what would have happened if Kira _had_ struck? I suppose there’s a _chance_ Kira might still take Häring out to show that the man is a fake…” _That sounds like a pride thing. Kira is proud of what he does, isn’t he? I wonder what prompted that. Why only criminals?_

Light’s fist clenched on the table and he couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of all their sad faces when Kira didn’t kill Häring. _Not that I won’t kill others so my followers know._ “Deneuve must think Kira is pretty stupid. If Kira did kill Häring, INTERPOL would know they were just a human who watches TV like the rest of us. One that gets angry or scared and makes mistakes. One who would kill an innocent out of spite. All that could be used to undermine the cult surrounding Kira.” He shrugged, giving L a little smile, “But I doubt they’ll fall for such a dumb trick.”

L chewed on his thumbnail and stared off into space, turning all of that information over in his mind again to see if there was anything else that could be gleaned from it, or to see if anything he’d said was a stretch or had holes. Finally, he pulled his thumb away from his mouth and said quietly, “I think Kira might actually _be_ somewhere in Asia. It can’t have been coincidence for INTERPOL to say that. Kira is obviously smart enough to throw off the people after him.” _Which means he’s adaptable. But what does that mean, exactly?_ Turning to Light again, he asked curiously, “Are there any emails where Deneuve says what _parts_ of Asia INTERPOL was looking at?”

Light shook his head. “No, there’s no emails like that.” It was the truth, but even if there had been, he wouldn’t have shown them to L. He thought it was enough to show that Kira wasn’t in Germany, for their purpose of freeing Häring. “I’m not sure whether Deneuve thinks Kira changed their tactics or not. He might have been trying to throw Aizawa off so that detail wouldn’t be published in his book, which would be inconvenient if _his_ so-called suspect was in Germany.”

“Oh. Damn.” L pouted slightly, shrugging. “I guess it was too much to hope Deneuve would let _that_ information slip. That’s still pretty _huge_ , if you ask me, most of the world is still wondering what the hell is going on, I bet.” He frowned a little at the thought that Deneuve might have been trying to throw Aizawa off, but after a moment, he dismissed it out of hand. He might not have any _rational_ reason to think it, but he had a vague hunch that Deneuve wasn’t _that_ skilled at misdirection. Time would tell on that, but… Light’s commentary about Deneuve being a blabbermouth seemed to back that thought up, along with making him laugh. “So, I’m kind of _glad_ he’s a blabbermouth, not gonna lie. I’ve already gotten more to work with just from _two_ emails than I had from a whole _years_ ’ worth of articles.”

L scooted closer, eyes wide and eager, and a small smile playing on his lips. “Anything else of interest he might have _blabbed_ about?” He almost giggled, but bit his lip to stifle it, not wanting to give away that he was attempting to appeal to Light’s attraction to him to get more information.

“Most of the other emails from Deneuve are just dreck.” The way L was sidling closer and looking so _interested_ made Light want to show him more, not that he hadn’t planned on it anyway. He was genuinely having fun playing at detectives together. “But there is this scan of a real letter I should show you. I have to admit I got a little excited when I read it.” He clicked open the image of a letter in perfect penmanship, displaying it on the screen. 

“A _real_ letter? Who the hell writes _those_ anymore?” L asked, eyebrows shooting up in surprise as he leaned into Light’s space to read it, acutely aware of the other man’s body heat.

_My dear Prof. Aizawa-_

_Your persistent stream of letters to the Law Department at Oxford has necessitated an additional clerk be hired in the mail room to handle your voluminous correspondence. Thus, perhaps I should begin by thanking you for contributing to the economy of our grand monarchy (long live the Queen), and supplying much-needed work for the citizenry._

_I find it curious that you would deem to reach out to me as a resource for your no doubt Pulitzer-worthy monograph. Alas, I am but a humble professor such as yourself, although much more advanced in years. I have been retired from private detective work for nearly two decades and have not kept abreast of the dealings of Kira. Of course, everyone in England has been aware of his targeting corrupt clergy in the Church of England, and of that minor noble that was diddling with people he most certainly should not have been. But England as a whole agreed not to target or investigate Kira for prosecution in exchange for sparing the Queen and her royal lineage in perpetuity. So far, the truce has held. I would be amiss, even if I were to be in possession of knowledge (which I am decidedly not), to share it with a professor in a nation still pursuing Kira._

_Thus, I must respectfully decline your tempting offer to provide information in exchange for no honorarium or share in the royalties. I will consider the matter closed._

_Cordially,_

_E.C._

_P.S.- You could always try reaching out to my ‘star pupil’ Deneuve. If there is a book deal he would shun, I haven’t heard of it yet._

L’s mouth dropped open slightly at just the first paragraph, sputtering out a laughing, “Whoever this guy is, he is throwing some _serious_ shade at Aizawa, oh _man_. I’m here for that!” As he kept reading, he found himself giggling even more at the back handed ‘compliments’ and shady comments towards Deneuve, though he was far more intrigued by the little hints that seemed to so _obviously_ indicate, to _him,_ at least, that this man _had_ been ‘keeping abreast’ of Kira’s activities.

Light laughed behind his hand imagining the look on Aizawa’s face upon reading this email, shooting an amused glance at L. “E.C.and at Oxford? Retired from private detective work two decades ago? I’d bet anything Aizawa was trying to get in touch with Eraldo Coil. Rumor has it that he’s one of the law professors there, but it’s the largest law school in the world, and if his colleagues know who he is, they’re not ratting him out.” He was a bit of a Coil fanboy, and in his early days as Kira, had even hoped that perhaps the detective would come out of retirement to pursue him, give him a real challenge. But in fact, the opposite had happened. Coil slipped deeper into obscurity as Deneuve rose, and when England made their truce with Kira public, he slipped off the radar completely. “I guess that one’s not particularly helpful but I thought you’d like to read it.” 

L shifted his gaze to Light’s, grinning as he listened to his commentary. “Oh… well, yeah. I suppose it’s not helpful in figuring out what’s going on with _Häring_ , but this is still _so_ cool to see a letter from Eraldo Coil, _himself_. I wonder how purple Aizawa’s face went reading this, if he _got_ that he was being insulted.” _Aizawa reached out to Eraldo Coil first? Light’s right, it HAS to be him. Damn! Maybe he DOES have a little sense, after all._

"The physical address E.C. sent this from doesn’t exist, I already tried to track it. Which...uh, I mean, probably wasn’t anything close to what the police could do, but I tried my best to and couldn’t. The envelope was covered in postmarks from all over the world.” Light opened a scanned picture of the envelope, which was tiled with weird stamps front and back with numerous postmarks upon postmarks. “The last postmark was dated from Tahati! I have no clue how he’s doing that. Some of these stamps are ancient, too.” He closed the images and smiled at L, “Eraldo Coil is still out there somewhere.” _And I’m not sure I really believe that he hasn’t been keeping up with the Kira case. Old habits die hard._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L's state of mind regarding Deneuve's hooooorrible spelling/grammar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc


	12. Icing on the Salty Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> L’s mother makes an unexpected call. Light convinces L to join him in a project that will exonerate the fake Kira and potentially expose Deneuve. They head out for the night.

_“Eraldo Coil is still out there somewhere.”_

L was so intrigued by the information he’d just been given that when his cell rang right beside him, he nearly fell off his stool. “Shit!” He snatched it up, cheeks coloring when he saw that it was his mother. “Come on…” _Not now, mom, I’m in the middle of something!_ Casting a glance over at Light, he shifted on the stool and put it on speakerphone, saying cautiously, “Hello, Kaasan. Everything okay?”

“L! I tried to call you earlier, but you didn’t answer!” Her tone was a combination of amusement and mild disapproval before transitioning to an excited, “Did you see the news about Kira? You’re still interested in that case, right?”

Snorting, L rolled his eyes and slumped against the counter. “Uh huh, I saw it. I was just discussing it with Light- my new roommate I told you about- and we-” He cut himself off when she chuckled, face flushing. “ _What_?”

“Do you have me on speakerphone?” L’s eyes widened at her mischievous tone, and he tried to frantically take it _off_ speakerphone before she could say anything embarrassing, but before he could, she said brightly, “If you’re there, Light-san, hello! I hope I get to meet you soon! You boys are off school for the next week, yes?”

Light hadn’t _meant_ to be listening in, but it was endearing to hear L speak so fondly to his mother. He raised an eyebrow when L got flustered about what she might say on speakerphone, wondering what L had said about him.

“Ugh, come on-” L started to say, groaning and glancing over at Light self consciously.

“When are you going to invite your mother over to see the new place?”

“Kaasan, that’s not-”

“It’s bigger than that _shoebox_ you were living in before, at least?”   
  


Light grinned and mouthed the words, “What did you tell her?” to L while silently chuckling. _Yes, it’s a little bigger than a shoebox._

  
“MOM.” L shook his head at Light before burying his face in his hands, blushing and giggling. “Yes, you’re on speakerphone, _yes_ , Light is here, and _yes_ , we’re both off classes for the week. Light, my mother Reika-san, Kaasan, Light-kun.” 

“You can call me Reika-san or Ishida-san, whichever you’re more comfortable with, Light- _kun_.” The gentle teasing made it clear that the woman on the other end of the phone was smiling.

Light smiled down at the phone when L’s mother said hello, choosing the more formal option and saying cordially, “Nice to meet you Ishida-san. You are welcome any time to come visit us. I’m surprised L hasn’t had you over for dinner already. I’d be happy to cook, if you’d like to come one night this week.”

L grinned to himself at their exchange, knowing he would have to update _each_ of them later on what was going on. _If Light is okay with me telling her about us._

“Thank you, Light-san!” Reika laughed and said in a teasing tone, “L, how is it that this nice young man has invited me over before _you_ did? You wound your dear old mother.”

L laughed self consciously at that and said hastily, “I didn’t invite you yet because of exams, Kaasan! And I was working so much, it wouldn’t have made _sense_ , I-”

“Oh, I know, darling, I’m only teasing.” 

Shooting a smile at Light, L asked, “Are you free tomorrow? Or maybe Monday?” He leaned over to Light and whispered, “That’s okay, right?”

“Monday would be better for me, actually, thank you.” 

Face flushing, L shook his head, glancing at Light curiously to see how he was feeling about the conversation. _I just want to get back to talking about the Kira case, mom, come ON._

Light flashed L a brilliant smile, nodding at the question as to whether Monday worked. “We’d be delighted to have you Monday, Ishida-san. Let me know if you have any food preferences, else it might be okonomiyaki.” It was Light’s favorite dish, and he wondered if he could get L to eat it. It was a cabbage pancake but by the time all the toppings were added, as well as a sweet sauce, you could in no way taste anything resembling vegetables. If not, he’d have some backup plan. 

“Okonomiyaki? I like the sound of that!” A pause, “Light-san, L was telling me you are _quite_ the impressive student, and had a number of exams. How did they go?”

Light blushed slightly that L had bragged about him, but it warmed him. “I’m not sure about _that_ , but my exams went fine.” He laughed self-consciously, “At least I hope they did. I guess we’ll get our grades in a few days.”

He looked at L sheepishly, a little at a loss at how to interact with L’s mother, who seemed to know more about him than he did about her. But he was intensely curious to meet her and find out more about L’s family, his background, his life before coming to Japan. He made a mental note to give his own family a call, maybe tomorrow, and it would be nice if they invited Mogi over one night during their school break. Even if Mogi was technically his employee, Light respected him a lot and after spending so much time together the past few years, considered him a friend.

_Hmm. I’VE never had okonomiyaki before,_ L thought, laughing at the way Light was blushing. _Maybe it’s time to cut this short._ “Kaasan, we were kind of in the middle of something…”

“Oh, _I_ see how it is,” she said, sighing exaggeratedly. “Well, I just wanted to touch base with you, L. You know, make sure everything is good, and you’re getting enough _sleep_.” Before L could respond, she went on, “Light-san, since I’m being kicked off the phone, I look forward to meeting you on Monday. Have a good weekend!”

L groaned at that, because of _course_ she would bring up his terrible sleeping habits during exams. “I’m catching up on my sleep this week, I’m fine.” Tapping the speakerphone button off, he brought the phone up to his ear, saying softly, “Thank you for calling, Kaasan. I’ll send you the address later, okay?”

“I’ll text you tomorrow when you forget,” she teased, and he could hear her smile through the phone. “I love you. _Sleep._ ”

  
  
“I love you too. And you are _not_ that old,” L added swiftly, listening to her laughter with a grin as she hung up with a fond ‘goodbye’. “Sorry about that, Light. Um. I _may_ have been gushing about you to her on one of my work breaks last week.” He shot a sheepish look to the other man and added, “And… okay, so I may have told her I had a crush on you.” It made him grin a little bit to think that not even three days after that phone call, they’d had sex in the shower. “I won’t tell her about us if you don’t want me to.” _But I’d really like to._

“Told her you had a crush on me?” Light snickered, looking away as he blushed. “Must be nice to be able to talk to your parents like that. I like her, she’s very laid back.” He wasn’t quite ready to broach the subject of being open about their relationship, especially with people he hadn’t met yet, so didn’t reply to L’s comment. Maybe after they all had dinner together he’d get a firmer sense of how to approach things. 

Shoving his phone in his pocket, L grinned even wider and came back over to drape an arm around Light’s chest. “Yeah. She’s one of the only people I can count on to have my back,” he said softly, smiling a little sadly to himself before pecking a kiss to Light’s cheek, thinking of the few friends he’d made that he’d lost touch with after they all went to different colleges. “Well. Until _you_ , anyway.” It made him happy to hear that Light liked his mom, not that he’d expected any different. Anyone who could stand him long enough to not only _raise_ him, but also continue to keep in touch with him voluntarily was definitely a good person, considering his quirks. 

L shook himself from those thoughts, glancing at the laptop. “But anyway… where were we?”

Light turned his attention back to his laptop, thinking that he’d probably shared enough to pique L’s curiosity about the Kira case, and plant the seed that Deneuve’s ‘Kira’ wasn’t the real one. It was a delicate balance between giving too much away and not enough; he didn’t want the arrow to point to him after all. “So, that’s all Aizawa has shared with me for the book, other than his own speculations, and trust me when I say that the book draft itself contains no useful information at _all_.” 

He closed out his laptop, frowning in the direction of the television which was still going on at length about the capture of Kira. “The thing is...and maybe this is just the law student in me talking,” _Well, that, and the REAL Kira talking…_ , “but I can’t abide standing by and doing nothing, letting this man go to prison or left as a sitting duck for the real Kira. I mean, I doubt Kira would kill him, but who knows?” Light was in the position of knowing for sure about the latter option, but that didn’t mean the suspect was safe. 

L pulled back as Light closed the laptop and moved to sit back down beside him, watching him intently as he spoke, head tilted curiously.

Light went on hesitantly, “So maybe we could dig into it a little deeper and then send our own book to Sakura TV, detailing _our_ conclusions.” 

L’s mouth dropped open. “ _What_?! Light, I don’t know the first thing about writing a book.”

“I’m afraid if we go to the police they’ll just ignore it, and a more, uh, reputable TV station might dismiss it. But Sakura? They’ll report on _anything._ And lots of people watch and listen to that Demegawa so…” Light flashed L a smile as he stood up with his laptop. “...just a thought, if you’re interested in helping.” He tried to sound nonchalant about it but he was counting on L taking an interest in this. He wanted the man’s help, could tell he had an excellent mind just from the quick deductions he’d made from the scant information in the emails. There was _no_ way he was letting Deneuve think he’d won this round, and if they were careful, they might even be able to take the fraud down altogether. 

L quieted down, frowning hard as he thought over Light’s explanation, and the more he thought about it, the more intrigued he was. He’d had his theories, _sure_ , but while he had always _wanted_ to be the one to solve the Kira case, he had never _seriously_ considered how to _do_ it. _For good reason_. “Light…” He looked up, lips twisting into a nervous frown as he admitted, “I haven’t exactly written my theories _out._ Up until you showed me those emails, I haven’t had anything to go on but what the news was reporting, and that wasn’t even _close_ to enough facts for me to work with.” Hesitating, L looked down at his hands and swallowed hard. “And… honestly, I’m a little scared to put my name on something like this. What if we go on TV and people dig up my background and try to discredit me just because I’m some young criminal psych major with a diagnosed learning disability? A lot of people still treat the learning disabled like we’re _stupid._ ” It was still worth it to him to do _something_ , but he wanted their work to speak for _itself_.

Light set his laptop on the counter and embraced L from behind, pressing his lips to the man’s neck. He murmured soothingly, “You have some information now, don’t you? Don’t worry about your background, we’ll just let the evidence speak for itself. That’s all that matters.” He didn’t want to dismiss L’s insecurities but he didn’t want to confirm them either-- some of the most brilliant people in the world could be considered ‘eccentric’ or similarly disabled, and it wasn’t anything that should hold L back if he was determined and interested. “Plus, wouldn’t it be a nice opportunity to hone your criminal profiling skills? People will be banging down your door when you graduate if you actually had _real_ insight into Kira.” _Real, but not too much._ “But if you don’t want to put your name on it, that’s fine. I’ll gladly take _all_ the glory.” He was joking, and chuckled into L’s hair, knowing with near certainty that L would want some of that glory for himself. 

L shivered at the embrace, eyes fluttering shut at the press of those soft lips. “You know I’ll never pass up a chance to hone my _skills_ ,” he said in a low voice, cutting his eyes to the side, tilting his head a little and reaching up to slide his fingers lightly against Light’s skin, taking a shuddering breath in. _Fuck, I REALLY want to crack this case, though._ “No, I want people to _respect_ my skills. If I need to put my name out there to do it…” Well, he’d had to deal with people underestimating him all his life, so maybe this wouldn’t be so different. “Do you _really_ think people will be interested in what I have to say? I mean, _you’re_ the respectable law student with a bright future. You _know_ people will say I’m just the charity case you took under your wing.” That brought a tiny smile to his lips, because it wasn’t _entirely_ inaccurate.

Light smiled at L’s hesitation, turning his head slightly to nip at the fingers sliding across his face. “Nonsense. The amazing thing about life or death situations is that nobody cares who tells them the truth as long as it’s true. Deneuve must have his detractors too-- do you think anyone who writes emails like that and hasn’t contributed substantially to any case in years doesn’t have some haters? They’ll eat this book _up_.” 

L’s smile widened. Light was _right_ , did it really _matter_ what people thought of him if, together, they could manage to prove to the _world_ that a wronged man was innocent? Softly, “I still don’t know anything about writing a book, but… I really _do_ want to help you get Häring cleared, if it’s possible.”

Light let his hands move up L’s shirt, brushing against the skin of his stomach. “People are so desperate to know anything about Kira, they might overlook all of Deneuve’s glaring lies, but that won’t last forever. We can do it.” _I know we can, because Häring’s not Kira. I am._

L’s breath hitched at the way Light was touching him, finding it hard to really _focus_ on what Light was saying when he did that. This was certainly an effective method of getting L to agree to just about anything, or at least distract him… 

Light pressed his lips to L’s neck again, going on, _“Someone_ will break this case.” _Not anyone else, if I have anything to do with it, but someone will expose Deneuve, that’s for sure._ “Why not us? The police are obviously incompetent or they would have caught the real Kira by now. We’ll back up our deductions with fact, based on the confirmed Kira kills and these emails, and _maybe_ I might be able to get a little more from my--” He laughed softly into L’s hair, catching himself before saying he could get protected police information from his father’s laptop. “Anyway, evidence has a funny way of turning up when you’re specifically looking for it. I’m sure you’ve found that to be the case, too.” He wondered if L would catch on to how he wasn’t remotely interested in finding the real Kira or exposing _that_ in a book-- only that Häring wasn’t it and that Deneuve was a fraud. _Let’s hope not, at least until the book is over and done with._

While L _knew_ he should be paying attention to everything Light was saying, he was only able to latch onto that question as he tried to shake his hormones away. _Why NOT us?_ “Okay,” he breathed, laughing under his breath. “Okay. I want to do it.”

Light kissed L on the cheek, pulling his hands away with a little scrape of nails. “So, it’s settled then. I’m not a bad writer given all the drivel Aizawa’s pitched at me to edit, and I’m sure that together we can put together something the world can’t ignore. We send it to Demegawa, he spreads it around…” He smiled over his shoulder as he went to tidy up the kitchen, putting away all the pans and dirty dishes. “...what’s the worst thing that could happen? We annoy the World’s Greatest Hack. That in itself would be enough, but exonerating Häring is icing on the salty cake.” He giggled, holding up a hand, “Just kidding. I’m not holding _that_ much of a grudge for having to read all his inane grimoires.” _Except I am. And for mocking Kira to the world._

L watched Light walk into the kitchen as his hormones started to settle down, chewing on his bottom lip thoughtfully as some of the things Light had said started to sink in. “Ooh, okay, I’m _definitely_ interested in annoying the World’s Greatest Hack.” _What did he mean by ‘evidence has a way of turning up’? What a strange thing to say._ Still, the whole thing was exciting, and he jumped up, laughing as he said, “Whatever. I’m grabbing my laptop, if you want to start looking for information _now_.”

\---after dinner---

After Light had showed L the emails from Deneuve, they had begun scouring the internet for news regarding the Kira case - anything they could get their hands on that mentioned Kira, Deneuve or INTERPOL. And while L was still utterly daunted by the prospect of sifting through everything for _scraps_ of information, it was comforting to have Light’s help this time around, pointing out the articles he’d already read as they came up. They worked until L had thought he was going to lose his mind and finally broke for food before retreating to their respective rooms to change for the club, and truthfully, L felt _fantastic_ about the progress they had made so far. 

“I’ll be out in, like… twenty minutes, tops,” L called to Light as he closed his bedroom door behind him, tugging his shirt off over his head and tossing it haphazardly on the bed as he went to his dresser. His club-only clothes were all confined to one drawer, and he plucked out the leather shorts and a top before making a beeline right to the bathroom and his makeup collection. He glanced at the top only quickly before grinning. _Oh, okay, looks like I’m going full-on goth tonight_ , he thought, throwing on a black, relatively simple, cat eyeliner. As he pulled his favourite dark red lipstick out of his collection, he found himself humming a Muse song under his breath, carefully applying the color. “Perfect,” he murmured, turning to the clothes now and tugging the slashed black crop-and-mesh top over his head, shaking his hair out of his face before changing into the leather shorts. The heavy silver chain bracelets he usually wore went on, as well as the choke chain, and he was done, grabbing his favourite pair of stompy boots, his phone, a pack of smokes and his wallet on the way out of his bedroom.

\---

Light stood in front of all his club clothes in his closet, trying to decide what to wear. It had been months since he’d been brave enough to sneak out to one of the clubs, or had enough time in between studying, tennis...and other activities.

Ryuk was hovering just behind him, snacking an apple from the bowl in Light’s room. “Heh, think it’s such a good idea to be pointin’ your roomie at all your Kira doins? He’s sharper ‘n most, huh?”

Light sighed, shooting Ryuk a look over his shoulder as he brushed some apple bits off his shirt, “You know I won’t stand for what that Deneuve is doing on TV. I don’t want the world thinking he’s caught the real Kira. I’m only giving L just enough to make the case Deneuve’s wrong, and that’s it.” He ruffled through his clothes, choosing a pair of black satin pants with corset stitching all the way up the sides. 

Ryuk shrugged, “Mmm, guess so. But writin’ a book?...You do love writin,’ hyuk hyuk…but then people’ll be lookin’ at you harder won’t they?” The shinigami riffled through Light’s clothes, pointing to a tight, sleeveless leather top with little chrome fleur-de-lis across the criss-crossed buckles. “Ooooh, how bout this? Looks like somethin’ you’d see me wearin.’”

“I don’t consider that a glowing endorsement, but sure…” Light laughed and took the shirt, wandering back into his bedroom to get dressed. “Anyway, once the book is ready, I’m taking my name off it. I don’t care if L gets all the credit, let him have it.” It would be an instant best-seller because everything in it would check out. Kira was the source, after all. L didn’t need to worry about his reputation. This book would _make_ him.

Ryuk stopped munching a moment to give Light a long look, but didn’t say anything right away. _Well, that’s a surprising turn. Light Yagami ok with somebody taking credit for his work?_ He flapped over to the fish tank and phased his hand through the glass, giving Flotsam and Jetsam a little scritch. “Eh, they look hungry.”

“They _always_ look hungry, Ryuk.” Light had gotten dressed and was sitting at his vanity doing his makeup and hair, smiling to himself as he applied a pretty good approximation of David Bowie’s Goblin King eye makeup from Labyrinth. “But I know you love to feed them. Go ahead.” He smiled into the mirror and hummed _Poor Unfortunate Souls_ , swiping on some sparkly lip gloss before segueing into humming _Magic Dance_. 

The eels tried to coil around Ryuk’s hand but ended up just flailing a little. “Awwww, look how much they love me. Adorable little bastards.” Ryuk fed them a couple shrimps, dropping one for Ursula at the other end, who was keeping a wary distance. He pointed to the octopus, “ _She_ don’t, though. Hmph.”

Light gave him an innocent look, “Imagine that! And they say octopuses are smart.” He snorted as he tousled his hair, spraying it with glittery hairspray, satisfied at his reflection in the mirror. “Anyway, behave while we’re gone. Your soaps are already queued up, but _try_ not to leave them on. I don’t want L thinking I watch that dreck.” He made a face, tossing a last apple to Ryuk as he headed for the door. “Later.”

“Hey, Light,” L called, stepping into the main room and not looking up as he fiddled with the zipper on the boots. “I’m pretty much ready, are you?”

Light walked through the bathroom and back into the apartment, stopping short as he caught sight of L in a sheer fishnet top and tight leather shorts. He gave L a lustful look, whistling softly as he circled L appreciatively. “You look amazing.” 

L looked around, grinning at the way Light was circling him. “Damn! So do _you_ ,” he said, looking Light up and down appreciatively. “Looks like we went with a similar aesthetic. I love… _everything._ ” Reaching up as Light came close, he traced his fingers along Light’s cheekbone, glancing over to the banner hanging in the kitchen before looking back with a faux innocent expression. “Shall I call you Jareth tonight, or will that be too on the nose?” 

Light embraced L and leaned close to admire the dark red lips. “I hope that’s smudge-proof. Else I expect to be covered in lipstick before the night’s done.” He purred against L’s lips, “And you can call me anything you want so long as you put out later.” He laughed softly, “Only kidding. Mostly.” 

“You are _not_ kidding!” L said, laughing as a pleasant shiver went through him from that kiss. _Yeah, I definitely won’t have any problem ‘putting out’ later_. His gaze flicked down to settle on Light’s mouth, arms circling the man’s waist as his grin softened into a tiny smile. “Well, I really _hate_ the texture of those liquid lipsticks...” Pressing a gentle kiss to Light’s cheek, he laughed in satisfaction to see that it hadn’t transferred. _Yet_. “But _this_ is not going to transfer much unless we’re hardcore making out, so… _definitely_ expected to be covered in lipstick by the end of the night.”

L pulled away reluctantly and went to grab the knee-high boots he’d been fiddling with, holding them up with a smirk on his face. “So, what do you think, are these bad boys too much?” Innocently, “I have other cool looking boots I can wear, if you like, but these are my favourite.” _And I can still rock the dance floor in them._

Light stole a quick kiss and stepped away, grabbing his phone and just what he needed from his wallet. His eyes widened at the boots L held up, and he gave a thumbs’ up. “No, no. Those are perfect! Hmm, but you’ll be so tall.” A slow smile spread across his face. “One second.” 

L grinned again when Light gave him the thumbs up, and as the man dashed away, he sat down on the couch to put them on. After he was done, he tugged his wallet out of his back pocket, instead taking his ID and some money and stuffing it into the half-empty cigarette pack along with his lighter. _There, now I won’t have a million things in my pockets._ Tossing his wallet on the coffee table, he moved over to lean against the wall beside the door, watching for Light.

Light rummaged through his closet for the shoes he wanted. _Mmmhmm. Might regret these by the end of the night, but…_ A mental image of these shoes against L’s neck made him shiver, and that made the decision.

He slipped on the red Louboutin stilettos, although they were mostly hidden beneath his pants, and walked back out into the living area. He was a good 6 inches taller now and on par with L in his platform boots. “See? That’s better.”

When Light walked back out, at first, L didn’t realize anything had changed… but he noticed a flash of red as Light walked towards him, and that gait… _oh shit. He’s in heels._ L’s shorts were already tight, but they felt _much_ tighter now as he stared, swallowing hard as he raised his eyes to Light’s. “God _damn_ , Yagami, you are one _gorgeous man_.” 

Light hummed happily at the compliment. “I like it when we’re eye-to-eye.” He gave L a sly look and tangled his fingers in L’s choke chain, “That is, unless you’d rather be on your knees for me.” 

Light’s little quip made L’s mouth go dry, gaze dropping pointedly down over Light’s body again. _Oh, you have no idea,_ he thought, saying nothing as he smiled wickedly up at Light. 

Light chuckled, taking his phone and giving Mogi a ring. “Hi Mogi, we’re ready to go. Be down soon.” He held out a hand to L, pulling him into his arms for one more quick kiss, careful not to ruin their makeup this early on. “I can’t wait to get out on the dancefloor with you. I’ll have to remember to behave. Cmon, let’s go.”

L waited until Light was done on the phone to say anything, whispering into Light’s ear as the door opened out into the hallway, “Not sure if _I_ can behave with you looking like this.” He pulled away with a grin, hooking his thumbs in the belt loops of his shorts and stalking out the door, throwing a smug look back over his shoulder at Light before going to press the button for the elevator.

It was quite dark as they walked down the terrace steps to where Mogi was parked, and Light was glad they hadn’t passed anyone in the elevator or halls. The building was just stuffy business people or empty apartments for ex-pats who visited a couple of months out of the year, so it wasn’t a huge surprise no one was around at nearly 11 pm. 

Mogi’s eyes went wide as he saw them, stalling a moment before turning to open the car door. His usually stoic face showed just a hint of a wry grin, because it had been a while since Light had gone out at night. “Good to see you’re having a little more fun these days, sir.” He nodded at L as well, blushing slightly at the man’s attire. “Nice to see you again as well, sir.”

“Good to see you too, Mogi!” L said with a wide smile, sliding down on the leather seat a little as he stretched.

Light gave him a little smile as he slipped into the car, “Thanks Mogi. Exams are over, it seemed about time to break my boring streak.” He scooted across the leather seats to make room for L, eyeing how the man’s tight shorts rode up even _higher_ when he sat down. “L, those are practically obscene.” He raised his eyebrows, grinning to let the man know he definitely approved.

L smirked over at the younger man, shifting to stretch his legs over into Light’s space. As far as he was concerned, his legs were one of his best features, and it amused him to see how people reacted to him putting them on display. “Might as well flaunt what I got, don’t you think?” he quipped, giggling over Light’s ‘boring streak’ comment.

Mogi got in the front of the idling car, shifting into drive. “Where to?”

“Dragon Men in Shinjuku-Nichome.” Light brought up the address on his phone and texted it to Mogi. “I don’t expect you to pick us up by the way, we’ll probably be out really late. A cab will be fine.” Plus, Light was slightly apprehensive about what they were going to look like by the end of the night, depending on what they got up to. _Or down to._

Mogi snickered and nodded, heading into the streets of Tokyo. “That’s a new one for you, isn’t it, sir?”

_Did Mogi just laugh a little?!_ Light rolled his eyes, but it was amusing how talkative Mogi was lately. “Are you keeping track of my clubbing habits? But _yes_ , if you must know, I haven’t been there before. Have _you?_ ”

Mogi sputtered a little, close to cracking up. “No sir, can’t say that I have. But some of Mina’s friends like it. Good drinks.”

Light snorted, whispering to L, “Yes, I’m sure they all go for the _drinks_.”

L stayed quiet as Mogi and Light talked, and then perked up a bit. “Wait, which ones do you usually go to again, Light? Dragon Men is my favourite. The drinks are good, but I can also actually _afford_ them.” _Though maybe that’s not important now._

Light started to respond to L’s question but Mogi cut in first. “Oh, he usually goes to Goldfinger. Never seems to get lucky though.”

Light leaned forward and huffed, “Mogi!” He shook his head in disbelief. “I swear...what’s gotten into you?” When Mogi only smirked at him in the mirror, he said to L, “That’s _right_ , and Campy once.” He settled back, snuggling closer to L and giving Mogi a side-eye. “I recall paying you for your driving skills not your commentary, Mogi.”

Mogi wasn’t deterred, and fiddled with the GPS with a smug look. “Oh, the commentary comes free, sir.”

Light narrowed his eyes, murmuring, “And how do _you_ know I’ve never gotten lucky, hmmm?”

Mogi laughed as he took a turn down the road, “Cause you always call me to pick you up after an hour and grouse about how everyone’s awful each time. You talk a lot when you’re tipsy.”

L giggled at the way Mogi was teasing Light, happy to see someone else who got to see the real Light. “Right, I remember you saying that now. Goldfinger has my favourite karaoke, I go a couple of Fridays a month, usually.” His heart leaped at the way Light snuggled closer to him, and he moved to slip an arm around Light’s shoulders, hoping that was okay. His lips curved up into a smirk at Mogi’s description of how Light was when he was coming home from the bar. _Yup, sounds like him, alright… though he gets downright aggressive when he’s DRUNK. Fuck._

Light crossed his arms and pouted, but he wasn’t really mad. Just floored at Mogi becoming a lot more joking lately. Maybe Mogi was finally coming out of his grieving stage from when his wife died, that might explain it. Light had never known her, but Mogi had been a much more somber person two years ago when he first came to work for Light. His wife had been some kind of doctor, and Mogi had taken on the driving gig to help put his daughter Mina through school when his wife’s income disappeared.

L grinned widely and leaned forward to drape his arms around the headrest of the passenger seat, addressing Mogi. “So, Mina’s friends go to Dragon Men, huh? During the week or on the _weekend?_ ” He eyed Light before adding, “I mean, either way, it’s a pretty popular bar, especially if you like dance clubs, and the staff is nice. I thought about applying there once, but I don’t know anything about mixing drinks.” 

Mogi smiled down at L leaning into the front seat. “Mina’s _girl friends_ don’t go, but uh, some of her guy friends do. I’ll just leave it at that.”

Pulling back, L leaned in to whisper into Light’s ear, “I bet her friends go because the bartenders all wear _speedos_ on the weekends.” He paused, and then said, “I don’t think I could do that, myself.”

Light gave L a surprised look, having trouble imagining L in a speedo. He whispered back, “No, I much prefer what you’re wearing now. Although it might as well be a speedo with all you’re covering up. And _no,_ I’m not complaining.”

Light’s expression made L snicker, and he whispered, “Wait, are you calling my shorts the equivalent of _leather speedos?_ ” 

The car pulled up in front of the club and there was already an extremely long line to get in. A bouncer was manning the double doors, giving people a once-over before letting them in or turning them away. Light gaped at the crowd, “Oh shit! Is there something going on tonight? I’ve never seen this many people at a club.” He grumbled about the line, because he _hated_ to wait. _Well, maybe when they see us they’ll let us cut to the front and walk on in. We look hot as hell._

L craned his neck to look out the window as they pulled up, laughing at the lineup. “Oh shit.” He peeked at his phone and snorted. “Looks like the aforementioned _Dragon men_ are probably getting ready to start their show, that explains the lineup.” He glanced at Light and said, “I usually get here around 9 when the lineup isn’t crazy.” He opened the door and got out, tugging at Light’s hand as he did. “The bar has a couple… uhhh, _dancers_ who put on shows every Friday and Saturday night.”

“Thanks Mogi, see you later.” Half of Light’s goodbye was cut off as L tugged him out of the car and towards the crowd, and there was barely enough room to stand on the edge of the curb. He sighed, eyes following the line stretching around the corner of the block. He breathed out, “Oh _hell_ no,” and strode right to the front of the line and dragging L behind him, shooting dirty looks at everyone who protested being shoved out of the way. When they were standing in front of the bouncer, Light had to clear his throat politely to get the huge man to look up.

L was just starting for the back of the lineup when Light dragged him off in the opposite direction. “Light, what-” He had to hurry to keep up, face flushing as he followed in Light’s wake; he’d never _once_ tried to cut the line before. Not only did he not have the _looks_ for it, despite how he usually dressed for the club, but he _also_ didn’t have the money for it. “Light, what if we get-” Light stopped abruptly, and L nearly ran into him, hyper-aware of the protests and complaints around them. Fuck, he really hoped this worked.

The bouncer’s jaw went slack as he took in Light and L, blinking as he waved his pencil, “Uh, the line starts---”

Light put on his most charming sultry smile, tilting his head coquettishly as he formed his expression into a sexy simper. “Surely there’s a special VIP list, isn’t there? You wouldn’t want me to have to stand out here in the shivering cold in _these_ , would you?” _It’s not cold at all, but I have no intention to wait even a minute. I’m getting the fuck in._ He turned his leg to show off the corset stitching, pulling it up enough to reveal the stiletto heels. 

L relaxed slightly the moment the bouncer laid eyes on them, a small, eager smile playing on his lips as he watched Light turn on the charm; the sultry act was _quite_ enticing, and having been on the receiving end of it, he knew _exactly_ how that bouncer might be feeling right about now.

“Uhhh…” The bouncer’s eyes went as big as saucers as he shook his head slowly. “I’m really not supposed to. I mean, my list….”

Light reached into his pocket and took out some folded bills, reaching out to pull back the clipboard hinge, stick the bills in it, and let it snap shut with a _clack_. “Funny. Seems like we’re on your list.” He smiled smugly when the bouncer hurriedly took the money and pocketed it, stepping aside to open the doors to the club.

“Yes, seems so, sir.” The bouncer grinned at them dumbly then turned to shout at some other patrons who were complaining. “Hey! Shut up you or you’ll be on the blacklist!” Back to Light and L, “Have a great time.”

_He didn’t stand a chance,_ L thought to himself, reaching up to hide his giggles behind his fingers when it _worked_ , composing himself a little as the man opened the doors for them. He shot the man a grin and a bright, “Thank you!” as he walked past, squeezing Light’s hand tightly.

Light took L’s hand and sauntered into the club, laughing softly as he leaned to kiss L’s cheek. “See? There’s some perks to dating me.”

Once they were out of earshot, L giggled a little louder and exclaimed teasingly, “Light, you’re terrible!” A beat later, he smirked wickedly. “I _love_ it.” 

  
Light gave L an indulgent smile, “Who cares if I’m terrible? We’re in aren’t we? I know how to get my way.” He beamed when L said he _liked_ it, finding that a real turn on, in fact. One of his favorite things in the world was breaking rules and getting away with it scott free, feeling like rules didn’t apply to him. _Because they don’t._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So L’s mother is very different from most Japanese moms, but a big part of that is because she spent a lot of time traveling outside of Japan after finishing university (and of course, the time spent in England with L and his dad). Guess we know where L gets his spunk from.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is still in earlier stages so updating maybe be a little sporadic. If you like how we write Light and L, check out our other Lawlight fic, [ Koi No Yokan.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17651402)  
> Check us out on tumblr:  
> ZJ: [ Kiranatrix](https://kiranatrix.tumblr.com/)  
> Ghost: [ GhostofTasslehoff](https://ghostoftasselhoff.tumblr.com/)


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